Baku [Azerbaijan], October 15 (ANI): India has reaffirmed its core philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' while urging all member states of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) to collectively combat cross-border terrorism during the grouping's high-level summit in Azerbaijan.

Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh conveyed the message while addressing the plenary session of the 7th CICA Summit hosted in Baku.

Detailing his engagements on social media, Singh stated on X, "Addressed the Plenary Session of the 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), held at Baku, Azerbaijan."

In a subsequent post, he added, "Emphasized India's vision of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (The World is One Family) for peace, cooperation, friendship and countering shared challenges. Called upon all Member States to unite against cross-border terrorism."

The Union Minister arrived in the Azerbaijani capital on Wednesday to attend the summit, where he received a formal welcome from India's Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Abhay Kumar.

Ahead of the proceedings, Singh remarked, "I look forward to constructive deliberations on strengthening regional cooperation, building mutual trust, and advancing peace, stability and security across Asia."

As a multinational forum, CICA is dedicated to fostering collaboration aimed at bolstering security and harmony throughout the Asian continent. The forum operates on the premise that regional security in Asia is inextricably linked to global stability, as outlined in official briefs.

The grouping's current membership encompasses India, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Cambodia, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, South Korea, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

The conceptual framework for CICA was initially proposed by Kazakhstan's founding President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, during the 47th session of the United Nations General Assembly in 1992. The initiative was designed to establish a dependable structure dedicated to regional security and peace across Asia. (ANI)