Laos signs founding documents ahead of expected CICA membership

Laos signed the founding documents of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia in Baku on October 14, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said. Final approval of membership is expected at the seventh CICA summit on October 15.

Approval would make Laos the forum’s 29th member. The organisation has 28 member states before that decision.

The signing ceremony is a step in the accession process. It should not be confused with final approval at the summit.

CICA was founded in 1992 at Kazakhstan’s initiative to promote cooperation, peace, security and stability in Asia. Interfax said its current members account for around 90% of the continent’s territory and population.

Cooperation covers five dimensions: military-political, economic, humanitarian, environmental, and new challenges and threats. The Baku summit is expected to consider the final decision on Laos.