GUAM countries ink documents on cooperation

Aprotocol to the Agreement on the establishment of the GUAM Free Trade zone was signed by the prime ministers of the member states of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development – GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova) at the meeting in Kiev on March 27.

Also, a protocol on mutual recognition of certain results of customs procedures in relation to goods and vehicles transported across the state borders of the GUAM member countries was inked.

"It is important that today we have signed a number of documents that will allow us in 2017 to fully implement the free trade zone within our states," Ukrainian PM Volodymyr Groysman said adding that this will have a positive effect on the development of the national economies and deepening of mutual cooperation.

Prime Minister of Georgia Georgy Kvirikashvili, Prime Minister of Moldova Pavel Filip and Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ismet Abbasov also attended the meeting.

Following the meeting, the member countries declared their willingness to strengthen the cooperation with international partners in carrying out regional projects and multilateral cooperation programs. They agreed to cooperate in all areas in order to ensure social-economic development, well-being, and reliability needed for security and stability in the GUAM area.

The documents are expected to promote the development of the GUAM transport corridor as an important communication link between Europe and Asia, as well as open broad opportunities for the enhancement of economic ties between the countries of the organization.

The parties noted the necessity of enhancing cooperation with the international partners as a precondition for the intensification of economic dimension within the GUAM.

Besides, the final statement of the heads of governments of the GUAM member states pointed to the unresolved conflicts in the GUAM area, noting that the conflicts should be solved based on sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of internationally recognized borders of states.

“Expressing deep concern over the conflicts, continuing in the territories of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, undermining sovereignty and territorial integrity and impeding the sustainable development of GUAM member states, we reaffirm our commitment for their speedy settlement on the basis of sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of the internationally recognized borders of states,” says the statement.

The government heads of the GUAM member states reaffirmed their commitment to the decisions, resolutions and documents adopted at the GUAM summits, as well as the norms and principles of international law enshrined in the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act.

The summit's agenda also included a visit to a business forum organized by the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where up to 20 Georgian companies took part, as well as entrepreneurs from Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova. Representatives of the transport and construction sectors, as well as the pharmaceutical sector and light industry were among them.

The GUAM format was created by four post-Soviet states in 1997 during the summit of heads of states of the EU in Strasbourg. The member states of the organization are Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova. In 1999, Uzbekistan joined the format and four years later withdrew.

In 2006, Ukraine and Azerbaijan announced plans to further increase the GUAM member relations and established its headquarters in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev.

The GUAM plays an important role in ensuring regional security, as it contributes significantly to the development and strengthening of dialogue between the countries of the region.