Humaiun proposes three initiatives for stronger Asian cooperation

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir on Thursday proposed three concrete initiatives to strengthen regional cooperation in Asia.

The initiatives included emphasising results-oriented projects, greater stakeholder engagement and enhanced digital collaboration to address emerging challenges in information technology and artificial intelligence.

The state minister placed the proposals while addressing the plenary session of the seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku, Azerbaijan, said a foreign ministry's press release.

He reaffirmed Bangladesh's commitment to advancing regional cooperation among Asian countries and called for transforming CICA into a more inclusive, effective and results-driven organisation.

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The state minister expressed Bangladesh's full support for CICA's transformation into a full-fledged international regional organisation with a clear legal status, a strengthened Secretariat, predictable financing and effective decision-making mechanisms.

Outlining Bangladesh's proposals, Kobir first called for implementing results-oriented sectoral projects supported by formal follow-up mechanisms to build meaningful and sustainable partnerships among member states.

Secondly, he proposed organising more in-person events to encourage wider stakeholder participation and strengthen engagement among CICA members. Thirdly, the state minister stressed the need to expand exchanges among information and communication technology (ICT) institutions of member states.

He proposed developing confidence-building measures to promote a safe, open and trusted digital environment while addressing emerging challenges associated with ICT and artificial intelligence (AI).

Kobir said Bangladesh remained committed to strengthening regional cooperation through practical initiatives that would deliver tangible benefits to the peoples of Asia.

The seventh CICA Summit is being held under Azerbaijan's chairmanship with the theme "A Stronger CICA: Connectivity, Digitalisation, and Sustainable Growth in Asia." The theme reflects the growing importance of regional connectivity, technological advancement and sustainable economic development across Asia.

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During the summit, Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) joined CICA as its 29th member, further expanding the pan-Asian forum.

The summit also endorsed Azerbaijan's chairmanship for the 2026-2028 term and approved the appointment of Sultan Hajiyev as the next Secretary General of CICA.

Established in 1999, CICA serves as a multilateral platform aimed at promoting peace, security, stability and confidence-building measures across Asia.