Your Excellency Minister of Foreign Affairs Bayramov,

Excellencies, Colleagues,

It is a great pleasure to attend this Meeting. I thank Azerbaijan for its thoughtful arrangements.

China commends Azerbaijan’s chairmanship for its active efforts in upholding the purposes and principles of CICA, and enhancing mutual trust and cooperation among CICA members. We reaffirm our full support for Azerbaijan’s Chairmanship.

The world today is undergoing profound changes and turbulence. Across Asia, the call for peace, development, fairness, and justice is growing ever more stronger. In this common endeavor, CICA has a vital role to play. I wish to make four points.

First, this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the founding of the UN. China welcomes the adoption of the two statements on these subjects. CICA members should commit themselves to building a new type of international relations based on mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation, and advocate for an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive globalization.

Second, China supports the adoption of the two regulations on financial and women’s cooperation. CICA members should enhance cooperation in confidence-building, synergize development strategies and regional cooperation initiatives, strengthen trade, and facilitate people-to-people exchanges, and build stable and reliable supply chains, so as to provide impetus to the development of countries in the region.

Third, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) at the SCO Summit in Tianjin early this month, which has been widely welcomed by many CICA members and the international community. The spirit and essence of GGI are consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, with the aim of bolstering the central role of the UN in international affairs. CICA should uphold the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefit, promote true multilateralism, and work together to build a more just and equitable global governance system.

Fourth, we support upgrading CICA into an international organization and look forward to it playing a greater role. China has recently made another donation to the CICA Secretariat and will continue to support its work.

In closing, China stands ready to work closely with all CICA members to support Azerbaijan in preparing for and delivering a successful summit next year.

Thank you.