CICA 7th Summit in Baku welcomes Laos as new member

The 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, on October 15, 2026. Hosted by Azerbaijan, the summit brought together heads of state, government representatives, and foreign ministers to discuss regional security, economic cooperation, and sustainable development.

A major outcome of the summit was the official approval of Laos as a new member state of CICA. President Ilham Aliyev highlighted this accession as a significant step toward creating a more inclusive dialogue platform in the Asian region.

During the event, leaders addressed critical issues including regional connectivity, digitalization, and climate challenges. The summit is expected to culminate in the adoption of the Baku Declaration, a document outlining member states' commitments to international law, multilateral cooperation, and confidence-building measures.

In conjunction with the summit, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov announced plans to visit Armenia following the event to participate in a global leaders' summit and engage in bilateral talks with Armenian leadership.