Director of Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia addresses OSCE, stresses need for closer regional co-operation

VIENNA, 5 May 2011 - Executive Director of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Ambassador Çınar Aldemir, in his address to the OSCE Permanent Council today emphasized the need for the two organizations to work together closer in addressing challenges in the region in all security dimensions.

Aldemir, representing the CICA Secretariat, spoke about the similarities and differences in the origins, goals and activities of the OSCE and the Conference, which was launched in 2002 as a forum for Asian states to boost mutual understanding and build confidence through discussing shared security concerns, co-operating on managing conflicts, and seeking ways to jointly resolve problems in military-political, environmental and socio-economic dimension, as well as in the field of fight against new threats and challenges.

Aldemir stressed the importance of enhanced political and security dialogue in Asia as a key to elaborating co-operative approaches to security – a priority topic for the current Turkish CICA Chairmanship.

“In an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world, regional security cannot be seen in isolation. Security environment in one region has an impact on other regions. Global peace and security can be ensured only if different regional structures co-operate with each other,” he said.

Aldemir underlined that the OSCE’s experience in implementing confidence-building measures in the human, economic and environmental, and especially the politico-military dimensions of security, as well as in addressing new threats and challenges, can be useful for CICA, “which has embarked on the path only recently”.

“The OSCE has been increasingly focusing on terrorism and related new threats and challenges to ensure security in the region,” Aldemir said. “Similarly, CICA also aims to create a meaningful security environment to meet these challenges in the region through dialogue, co-operation and confidence building measures among the member states. There are indeed excellent prospects for co-operation between the CICA and the OSCE in this area.”

He said that facilitating the development of socio-economic ties via promoting trade between respective regions, as well as joining efforts in establishing safe transportation corridors for energy, goods and people between Asia and Europe is another area where OSCE and CICA can make substantial contribution.

Aldemir also said that the CICA could also benefit from “the highly developed human rights mechanism of the OSCE, especially in co-operation with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights”.

CICA unites twenty-four member states representing nearly ninety percent of the area and population of Asia. Seven OSCE participating States and eight Partners for Co-operation are also members of CICA. Turkey chairs CICA from June 2010 to June 2012.