Kazakh president suggests transforming CICA into OSDA

Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev on Wednesday suggested transforming CICA into the Organization for Security and Development in Asia (OSDA).

"I am confident it is high time to create an effective Organization for Security and Development in Asia based on the CICA," President Nazarbayev said in a keynote address at the fourth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) being held here.

"Global crisis gradually conquers one sphere after another: finances, economy, politics, and then culture. The crisis has embraced the entire civilization. And that is why, we, the Asian countries, need to engage in peace building and development. And, the OSDA can become a key instrument in that process. I call on all leaders of the CICA member countries not to put off this issue indefinitely," he added.

India has been consistently and actively supporting the CICA process, which was initiated by President Nazarbayev in 1992.

The idea of full-fledged security and cooperation mechanism reflected by the Conference on Inter-Action and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia is very much in concert with the aspirations of India, as it has been a founding member and driving force of the Non-Alligned Movement, SAARC, BRICS, IBSA, among others.

The fourth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) began in Shanghai on Wednesday morning.

It brings together presidents of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Sri Lanka and Prime Minister of Cambodia, US Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The Foreign Minister represent Turkey at the Summit.

Nearly 40 countries and international organizations are attending the meeting. China will be taking over the presidency for the next two years until 2016.

The idea on the convocation of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) was ever-first voiced by President Nazarbayev in 1992.