Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath has concluded a two-day official visit to Baku, Azerbaijan, where he led Sri Lanka’s delegation to the seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).
Held on Oct. 15 under Azerbaijan’s chairmanship, the summit brought together representatives of the 28 member states to discuss regional connectivity, digitalisation and sustainable development.
Addressing the summit, Herath highlighted the importance of economic integration through stronger connectivity, digital transformation and cooperation among member states. The meeting concluded with the adoption of the Baku Declaration, the admission of Laos as a full member, the extension of Azerbaijan’s chairmanship for 2026-2028 and the appointment of Sultan Hajiyev as CICA secretary-general.
During the visit, Herath met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at Zuğulba Palace and held bilateral discussions with counterparts from Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Tajikistan, Turkey and Palestine, as well as CICA Secretary-General Kairat Sarybay. Discussions focused on cooperation in trade, tourism, agriculture and energy security.
He also attended a high-level business meeting with Azerbaijani energy company SOCAR to explore opportunities for energy cooperation.
Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Iran, with accreditation to Azerbaijan, Prof. Fazeeha Azmi, and Ministry Director General for South East Asia and Central Asia Chamari Rodrigo accompanied the minister.
The Foreign Ministry said the visit reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with CICA member states and advancing regional economic ties. (Newswire)