Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath has met the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, during his visit to Baku, where he is leading the Sri Lanka delegation to the 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation between Sri Lanka and Azerbaijan in trade, investment, tourism and energy, particularly in oil and gas supply, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Minister Herath is leading the Sri Lanka delegation to the 7th CICA Summit, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 14 to 15 October 2026. He will deliver Sri Lanka’s country statement under the theme “Stronger CICA: Connectivity, Digitalisation and Sustainable Growth in Asia.”

During the visit, Minister Herath is also scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with counterparts from CICA member countries, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, as well as with representatives of the host country, Azerbaijan, and the Secretary-General of CICA.

The visit provides an opportunity for Sri Lanka to strengthen its engagement with countries across Asia, deepen diplomatic relations and explore new economic partnerships, particularly with the growing economies of Central Asia, the statement added.

CICA is the largest regional intergovernmental forum in Asia, bringing together member states to promote cooperation, peace, security and stability across the region.