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India has called on member states of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) to unite against all forms of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, while stressing that regional connectivity projects must respect the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member states.
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, who led the Indian delegation to the 7th CICA Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Thursday, highlighted India's commitment to inclusive multilateral cooperation, regional security and peace during his address to the plenary session. According to a release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Singh underlined India's active participation in CICA activities and urged member states to strengthen collective efforts against terrorism. The Minister of State reiterated that all regional connectivity projects must be transparent, financially viable, inclusive, and strictly respectful of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of all Member States, the MEA said. In a post on X, Singh said he had addressed the plenary session of the summit and emphasised India's vision of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, or The World is One Family, as a guiding principle for peace, cooperation and friendship. Emphasized India's vision of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (The World is One Family) for peace, cooperation, friendship and countering shared challenges. Called upon all Member States to unite against cross border terrorism, Singh said. The summit brought together CICA member states to deliberate on strengthening regional cooperation, building mutual trust and promoting peace across Asia. Highlighting India's approach to multilateral engagement, Singh emphasised the importance of inclusive and consensus-based cooperation in addressing shared regional challenges, according to the MEA release. The 7th CICA Summit adopted the Baku Declaration, which highlighted the importance of connectivity, digitalisation and sustainable growth across various dimensions of confidence-building measures to promote development in Asia. India, a founding member of CICA, reaffirmed its commitment to the forum as an important platform for fostering dialogue, consensus-building and cooperation across the continent. CICA is a multinational forum dedicated to strengthening cooperation, security and harmony across Asia, based on the understanding that regional security is closely linked to global stability. The initiative was first proposed by Kazakhstan's founding President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, during the 47th session of the United Nations General Assembly in 1992, with the objective of establishing a framework for regional security and peace in Asia. The grouping's membership includes India, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Cambodia, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, South Korea, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. India's participation in the summit reflects its continued engagement with the CICA process, with an emphasis on collective action against terrorism, respect for sovereignty and inclusive regional cooperation. (ANI)
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