China to hand over CICA Chairmanship to Tajikistan

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - China will hand over the Chairmanship of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) to Tajikistan on the margins of the UN General Assembly, announced Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kairat Abdrakhmanov, Kazinform correspondent reports.

"Tajikistan is the next CICA Chairman. In a month, Tajikistan will assume the CICA Chairmanship from the People's Republic of China on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York City," the minister said at the Silk Road Conference Hall opening ceremony at the CICA Secretariat Office.

CICA is an inter-governmental forum for enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace, security, and stability in Asia. Nowadays, CICA includes 27 member states. Seven countries and four international organizations, including the UN, have observer status. All decisions within the framework of CICA are taken by consensus.

It is to be recalled that the Secretariat was established on June 17, 2006, and is based in Astana. The new office was also officially opened in Astana on October 29, 2016, by the then Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, Erlan Idrissov.

It is worth mentioning that the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly will open on September 18, 2018.