ASTANA – Saudi Arabia joined the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) as its tenth observer state on Dec. 26, reported the CICA’s press service.
Photo credit: CICA press service.
The decision to grant observer status to Saudi Arabia was made during the CICA Ministerial Council following the pre-approval of the country’s application at the CICA Senior Officials Committee meeting on Dec. 12.
This marked a significant step in expanding the geographical reach of the pan-continental organization dedicated to fostering peace and security in Asia.
Along with Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Qatar, another Gulf State, Saudi Arabia is expected to increase the representation of this sub-region in CICA and broaden and enrich cooperation across Asia.
Saudi Arabia promotes multilateralism in Asia and the rest of the world, participating in various international organizations, including the League of Arab States, a CICA observer organization, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.
Saudi Arabia’s application to become a CICA observer state underscores the significance of collective efforts in addressing global and regional challenges. It reflects the shared aspiration within the region for a more interconnected international community.
Over the last three years, the CICA has experienced notable growth, with Kuwait becoming a member in 2022, Turkmenistan achieving observer status in 2021, and the Eurasian Economic Union joining as a partner organization in 2022.
