Leaders from Middle Eastern and Asian countries, including some that are in conflict with each other, gathered in Baku for the 7th CICA Summit, a forum focused on confidence-building, conflict resolution, transport connectivity and digital transformation. Attendees included Israeli President Isaac Herzog, the Emir of Qatar, the UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and a Palestinian delegation, alongside leaders from several Asian countries. Tensions surfaced when delegations from Turkey, Iran, Kuwait and Pakistan left the hall during Herzog’s address, while Qatar, the UAE and Bahrain stayed. Kazakhstan’s President Tokayev proposed a CICA transport connectivity strategy, and Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan opened a Trans-Caspian fibre-optic cable linking Asia and Europe through the Black Sea, while Uzbekistan’s President Mirziyoyev called for an “infrastructure of trust” built on transport and energy projects.
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