Turkey extends CICA group’s presidency for two years
ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency
Turkey has extended its chairmanship of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) for another two years.The Turkish Foreign Ministry said on April 6 that upon founding member Kazakhstan’s proposal for Turkey’s chairmanship to continue for two more years and the demands of other member states to this effect, it was decided by a consensus of member states on April 2, 2012 to extend Turkey’s chairmanship for a period of two years (2012-2014). “A heavy agenda was followed, and numerous meetings and events were conducted in the economic, environmental, human, new threats and challenges and military-political dimensions of CICA during our first chairmanship [2010-2012],” the ministry said in a statement.
“During the second period of our chairmanship, priority will be given to the fourth CICA foreign ministers’ meeting to be held in September 2012 in Astana and to CICA’s 20th anniversary events. Turkey will continue its efforts toward constructing cooperative security in Asia,” the statement said. CICA is an intergovernmental forum for enhancing cooperation and promoting peace, security and stability in Asia. It is a forum based on the recognition that there is close link between peace, security and stability in Asia and in the rest of the world.
