Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath has concluded his two-day official visit to Baku, Azerbaijan, where he led the Sri Lanka delegation to the 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

Held on 15 October 2026 under the Chairmanship of Azerbaijan, the Summit brought together Heads of State, Vice Presidents and Foreign Ministers from the 28 Member states to deliberate on building a ‘Stronger CICA’ through enhanced connectivity, digitalisation and sustainable development, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism said in a statement.

Delivering the country statement, Minister Herath welcomed the CICA theme "Stronger CICA: Connectivity, Digitalization and Sustainable Growth in Asia" and stressed that meaningful economic integration across Asia relies on stronger connectivity, digital transformation and closer partnership among member states.  

The summit concluded with the adoption of the ‘Baku Declaration’, accession of Lao People’s Democratic Republic as a full member, the extension of Azerbaijan’s Chairmanship (2026-2028) and the appointment of Sultan Hajiyev as CICA Secretary-General, the statement said.

As part of his official engagements during the visit, Minister Herath paid a courtesy call on the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev at the ‘Zuğulba Palace.’

He also held a series of bilateral discussions with his counterparts from Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Tajikistan, Turkey and Palestine, and engaged with CICA Secretary-General Ambassador Kairat Sarybay, it added.

The discussions centered on expanding bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade, tourism, agriculture and energy security.

Following the meeting with the President of Azerbaijan, a high-level business meeting was convened with ‘SOCAR’, a leading energy company in Azerbaijan, to explore strategic opportunities for energy cooperation.  

Minister Herath was accompanied as members of the delegation by Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Iran with accreditation to Azerbaijan  Prof. Fazeeha Azmi and Director General/ South East Asia and Central Asia of the Ministry Chamari Rodrigo, the statement said.

The visit reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with CICA and deepening its bilateral relations with the member states.

The engagements also underscored the importance of fostering mutually beneficial partnerships in trade, tourism, agriculture and energy, while advancing regional connectivity, digital transformation and sustainable economic growth across Asia.