11/01/2025 | Press release | Archived content
On the sidelines of the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Varsen Shahin met with Ambassador Kairat Sarybay, Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA).
The discussion focused on enhancing cooperation between Palestine and CICA and exploring future partnerships in political, economic, and social fields.
Ambassador Sarybay highlighted Palestine's active role within CICA, noting its full membership rights, including veto powers, and briefed on the upcoming transfer of CICA's chairmanship to Azerbaijan in December 2025. He also emphasized Palestine's contributions to initiatives on women's empowerment, sustainable development, and higher education, and encouraged greater engagement of Palestinian experts in CICA programs.
Minister Shahin welcomed the meeting, commending CICA's efforts in promoting regional cooperation and reaffirming Palestine's commitment to peace, justice, and international law. She emphasized that Palestine seeks its full rights to statehood on 22% of historic Palestinian land, and that its participation in organizations like CICA strengthens its international standing and partnerships in development, environment, women's empowerment, and regional security.
Both sides agreed to continue coordination between the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the CICA Secretariat, opening channels with the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation to discuss joint projects, further supporting Palestine's active role in the organization and promoting regional stability and sustainable development.