Heads of delegations pose for a group photo at the seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku, Azerbaijan. — VNA/VNS Photos Tâm Hằng

BAKU — The seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) opened in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on Thursday.

Vice President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân is leading a Vietnamese delegation and expected to deliver a speech at the event.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev welcomed heads of state and national leaders attending the summit.

He also welcomed Laos’ accession to CICA, describing it as recognition of the organisation’s role as a regional connector. Laos joined the organisation on Wednesday, becoming its 29th member and expanding the summit’s geographical reach.

The summit centres on ways to strengthen trust, peace and security in Asia, including joint efforts to address existing challenges and threats.

Key topics include CICA's institutional development, enhancing its role and effectiveness across Eurasia, and practical measures to improve transport connectivity.

Digitalisation, sustainable economic growth, climate change, and green energy are also on the agenda.

The participation of leaders from Central Asia and other countries, alongside the foreign ministers of China and Türkiye, is expected to provide opportunities to discuss pressing international issues and strengthen multilateral cooperation.

Discussions are likely to focus on joint solutions to global crises and geopolitical instability, as well as the role of dialogue and mutual trust in maintaining regional security.

Amid growing geopolitical uncertainty and an increasingly complex international and regional environment, Asian countries are seeking to preserve peace and stability while sustaining economic growth.

The summit is expected to adopt the Baku Declaration, reaffirming the forum's importance to addressing current challenges and identifying potential solutions to crises facing the world.

Việt Nam participated in CICA as an observer in 1993 and became a full member in 2010.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (right) welcomes Vice President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân at the summit.

Since joining, the country has attended all CICA summits at the vice-presidential level, as well as ministerial meetings, committee of senior officials meetings, special working groups, and expert-level sessions, with the involvement of relevant ministries and agencies.

Việt Nam has established itself as an active and responsible CICA member, contributing to efforts to address regional and international issues. The CICA Secretariat and member states have recognised Việt Nam’s socio-economic development achievements, international standing and responsible contributions to tackling complex regional and global challenges.

CICA has continued to promote equal dialogue and cooperation among its members, helping prevent crises and develop confidence-building measures.

It has also facilitated coordinated responses to non-traditional security threats, delivering practical results in areas including the economy, culture, people-to-people exchanges and youth engagement.

The organisation serves as a forum for dialogue and policy coordination, with commitments based on voluntary participation. — VNA/VNS