DUSHANBE, June 14. /RASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday arrived in Dushanbe to attend a summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) on June 15.
Later on Friday, the Russian president will take part in an official dinner Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rakhmon will give in honor of the high guests.
The summit will be attended by delegations from 27 member nations, as well as 13 observers, including representatives from such international organizations as the United Nations, the Arab League, the International Organization for Migration, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-Speaking Countries.
CICA summits were initiated by Kazakhstan’s first President Nursultan Nazarbayev at the 1992 United Nations General Assembly. The forum seeks to create a trans-Asian mechanism for dialogue on key regional issues and cooperation matters. Nazarbayev, as the organization’s founder, will deliver a speech at the plenary meeting, together with Putin, Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
According to Russian president’s aide Yuri Ushakov, the CICA summit’s agenda will be largely similar to that of the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) summit that was held in Bishkek on June 14. Heads of the delegations are expected to tell about their approaches to issues of regional and global security. Special attention will be focused on strategic security and stability, efforts to address challenges and threats. "Naturally, issues of closer economic cooperation and cooperation in the humanitarian speher will be discussed," he said.
While addressing the summit, Putin plans to clarify his views on resolving regional issues, including those related to Afghanistan, Syria, Iran and North Korea. "We will specify our position on Afghanistan and Syria in light of the situation in Idlib province, as well as on Iran’s nuclear program and the situation on the Korean Peninsula, given our recent talks with the North Korean leader," Ushakov said.
The leaders will adopt a declaration that will reflect CICA member states’ consolidated views on key global issues, their common commitment to the principle of multi-polarity in international relations based on the central role of the United Nations. The document will also emphasize the need to prevent violations of international law and attempts to interfere in the domestic affairs of countries, as well as to form an equal and indivisible security system in Asia and boost cooperation between regional organizations in countering threats and challenges, the Kremlin aide said.
While in Dushanbe, the Russian president is expected to have contacts with other leaders on the sidelines of the summit. Thus, Putin will meet with Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon to exchange opinions on a broad range of issues of bilateral agenda and regional problems.
Besides, according to Ushakov, a meeting with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani is also possible, but has not been finally coordinated as of yet.