The demise of the Soviet Union in 1991 created two important regional security architectures: one was the China-led Shanghai Five that later converted into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the other was the Kazak-led Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA). .,The primary purpose of both these regional organisations was to create congenial security atmosphere in Asia by tacking differences and building confidence among Asian countries to resolve their outstanding and emerging issues.
The CICA is a Kazak initiative taken by President Nursultan Nazarbayev in 1992 when many Asian countries confronted with the implications of demise of the Soviet Union and their security could be at stake for one or other reason. Building new trust and confidence among Asian nations was considered crucial at that time.
CICA unites around 26 countries and 14 observers to fostering equal level of cooperation among its members.It was established as the platform for strengthening mutual understanding, dialogue and trust between the member states and has become one of the biggest forum of the modern system of international relations contributing to the maintenance of security and stability in Asia from Southeast Asia to the Middle East, the Indian Ocean, and up to the northern seas.
