Saudi Arabia has been designated as an observer state in the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA). The CICA secretariat's press service informed the TASS correspondent about this development.
The decision to grant Saudi Arabia observer status was made by the organization's Council of Ministers on December 26, following the tentative approval of Saudi Arabia's application at a meeting of the CICA senior officials committee on December 12.
Saudi Arabia, joining as an observer state, now stands as the 10th observer country in CICA. This move is considered a significant milestone for the pan-continental organization, focused on enhancing peace and security in Asia.
The press service emphasized that Saudi Arabia's observer status would bolster representation from the Gulf States in CICA. Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates are already active participants in the organization.
According to the press release, Saudi Arabia's application reflects the region's collective commitment to addressing global and regional challenges and the shared aspiration for a more cohesive international community.
Over the past three years, CICA has experienced considerable growth. Kuwait joined as a member in 2022, Turkmenistan became an observer in 2021, and the Eurasian Economic Union attained partner organization status in 2022. The CICA secretariat highlighted the expansion as a positive development for the organization's advancement as a pan-Asian forum.
Established in 1992 on Kazakhstan's initiative, CICA serves as an interstate forum with the goal of fostering dialogue, decision-making, and implementing security measures in Asia. Currently, CICA has 28 member states, along with 10 observer countries (including Saudi Arabia) and 5 international organizations. Since 2014, the Forum's headquarters has been located in Astana.
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Based on materials from TASS