Baku:President Ilham Aliyev has highlighted Azerbaijan's growing significance as a vital connecting hub in the Eurasian region. Speaking at the 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku, he expressed gratitude to all CICA member states for their unanimous support for Azerbaijan's chairmanship in 2024.

According to Azeri-Press news agency, President Aliyev emphasized Azerbaijan's collaborative efforts with various countries across political, economic, transport, energy, and humanitarian sectors, both bilaterally and multilaterally. He pointed out that these efforts contribute to strengthening the regional security system.

President Aliyev also reiterated Azerbaijan's commitment to an independent foreign policy guided by principles of equality, non-interference in internal affairs, and respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of states.