ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES OF GUUAM

PRESS RELEASE

A regular summit of GUUAM – regional unification of five states – Ukraine, Azerbaijan Republic, Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Uzbekistan – will be held in Yalta (Ukraine) on 3-4 July 2003.

Agreement of countries on many issues of modern international relations underlies the creation of this form.
Consultative GUAM forum with four member-countries (Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova) was established on 10 October 1997 in Strasburg during the summit of European Council where the General Communique of the heads of Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Moldova was approved. This document accentuated the need to develop quadrilateral co-operation with the view to strengthening stability and security in Europe in accordance with the principles of respect of sovereignty, territorial integrity, inviolability of borders, democracy, supremacy of law and respect of human rights. Strasbourg communique formally strengthened gradual political rapprochement and co-operation of countries in both international arena and bilateral relations. Meeting of presidents of GUUAM member-countries and Uzbekistan was held in Washington on 24 April 1999 within the frames of the supreme CEAP (Council of Euroatlantic partnership) meeting. Washington Statement was signed and format of the forum was transferred to GUUAM.
Priority directions of co-operation in GUUAM were detrmined by Yalta Chart of GUUAM. They are as follows:
– Strengthening of trade-economic relations among GUUAM member-countries;
– Development of infrastructure of transport corridors with the appropriate harmonisation of legal and institutional framework of this sphere, unification of customs and tariff norm with international standards;
– Provision of energy security;
– Struggle against international terrorism, organised crime, illegal migration and illegal trade in drugs.
Organisational structure. The supreme authority of GUUAM is represented by the annual meeting of heads of participating countries. The executive body is represented by the Council of Foreign Affairs ministers of GUUAM member-countries. The functions of members are performed by the Committee of National Co-ordinators (CNC GUUAM) comprising one co-ordinator from each member-country. Kiev-based Informational Office of GUUAM functions as well.
Seven working groups co-ordinate co-operation among GUUAM member-countries on the branch level: on the issues of energy, transport; trade and economy; informatics and telecommunication, culture, science and education; tourism, struggle against terrorism, organised crime and spread of drugs.
The first GUUAM Summit was held in Yalta (Ukraine) on 7 June 2001. The summit has contributed to the formation of this regional unification as international structure. The Yalta Chart of GUUAM signed during the summit determined purposes, principles and directions of co-operation of member-countries. Basics of organisational structure contained in the Chart have, in fact, nailed down the existing co-operation mechanism of member-countries the efficiency of which had been tested in practice. According to the Yalta Chart, chairmanship in GUUAM during the meetings of heads of state is realised by member-countries in alphabetical order.
The second meeting of the heads of GUUAM member-countries was held in Yalta on 20 July 2002. President of Azerbaijan Republic G. Aliev, President of Georgia E. Shevarnadze, President of Moldova V. Voronin and President of Ukraine L. Kuchma took part in the meeting. Uzbekistan Republic was represented by S. Shakhalilov, ambassador of Uzbekistan in Ukraine.
Representatives of ten states – Bulgaria, Brazil, Iran, Pole, Rusia, Slovenia, USA and Turkey as well as representatives of four international organisations – I. Kubish, General Secretary of OSCE (organisational of security and co-operation in Europe), D. Gardner, UN representative in Ukraine, N. Justen, ambassador of European Commission and V. Chechelashvili, General Secretary of I?AN attended the summit as guests.
UN General Secretary K. Annan, US vice state secretary R. Armitidge addressed the summit participants with greetings. They said they were ready to support GUUAM and provide assistance in the development and realisation of particular co-operation initiatives, programmes and projects.
Presidents of GUUAM member-countries estimated situation and perspectives of co-operation within the frames of unification. It was accentuated that GUUAM might become an efficient factor in providing stability and safety in the region and contributing to the efforts of international community in its struggle against terrorism and other crimes.
In this connexion, they mentioned the significance of some documents in providing political, legal and organisational framework for avoiding challenges of international terrorism, separatism and extremism. These are such documents as Declaration on joint efforts in providing stability and safety in the region as well as agreements on co-operation of governments of GUUAM member-countries in struggling with terrorism, organised crime and other dangerous crimes. The parties agreed to determine ways of GUUAM-FATF co-operation in settling problems of money laundering and danger of possible use of the criminal money for financing terrorist activities.
Special attention was paid to the expansion of trade and economic ties, further development and provision of effective functioning of GUUAM transport corridors and in particular, of TRACECA corridor. Perspectives of the development of Euroasian pipeline were mentioned, too. In this connexion, the significance of the signing of free trade agreement among GUUAM member-countries was accentuated as well. The parties agreed to spare no efforts in enforcing this document as soon as possible.
The heads of the states stressed the need of gradual institutional strengthening of GUUAM and creation of favourable conditions for branch interaction. When discussing issues of co-operation in particular spheres, the presidents mentioned the significance of gradual development of co-operation in particular spheres of co-operation. The heads of the states committed their Governments to activate development of co-operation within the frames of appropriate groups of general projects and programmes of branch co-operation, which would lead to a new practical level of interaction of GUUAM member-countries.
The heads of the state mentioned signing of the protocol on co-operation in the sphere of culture in 2002-2005 as well as agreement on the formation of business council of GUUAM member-countries.
The positive experience of GUUAM co-operation within the frames of UN, OSCE and other international organisations was also mentioned.In this connexion, participants of discussion focused their attention on the need to co-ordinate efforts of GUUAM within the frames of international organisations, in particular in setting forward general initiatives and in interaction with other states and international structures.
All presidents mentioned the key significance of GUUAM Informational Office in Kiev in the development of co-operation within the frames of the Union as well as interaction of GUUAM with other states and international organisations.
During the representation of Georgia in GUUAM (20 July 2002 – 3 July 2003) Tbilisi has repeatedly become centre of the Committee meetings of national co-ordinators, sessions of working groups and sessions of Council of the GUUAM Foreign Affairs Ministers.
Thus, in 7-8 February 2003 the second meeting of heads of GUUAM Border Departments was held. There was session of working group on tourism on 8 May 2003 and there was session on transport on 27-28 May. During the meeting, protocols of sessions were signed, directions of co-operation were determined, agreement with American party on further joint actions and development of GUUAM contractual base was reached.
The third session of CMFA (Council of ministers of foreign affairs) GUUAM was held on 24 May. Representatives of Azerbaijan Republic, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Uzbekistan and Ukraine. Representatives of UN, OSCE, Eurocommission, World Bank, AA??, International Migration Organisation, attended the session as guests.
During the CMFA GUUAM session principal attention was attached to the preparation of regular Yalta GUUAM Summit (3-4 July 2003): realisation of “frame US-GUUAM Programme on the promotion of trade and transportation, provision of border and customs control, struggle against terrorism, organised crime and spread of drugs”, in particular, formation and implementation of project on creating Virtual centre for fighting terrorism as well as project on the promotion of trade and transportation; development of USA-GUUAM co-operation.
The American delegation headed by Linn Pasco, US deputy General Secretary on European and Eurasian issues took part in the CMFA GUUAM meeting in order to discuss co-operation of the Union with the USA>
Session of the Committee of GUUAM national co-ordinators was held before CMFA GUUAM.
Communique and joint statement of GUUM-USA was signed in the CMFA GUUAM session. These documents accentuated the importance of future GUUAM Summit for providing further development of the Union and strengthening its ties and co-operation with foreign states, international and regional organisations and groups. He also planned further steps in the activisation of GUUAM working agencies’ activities and stressed the high efficiency of GUUAM-USA dialogue, in particular, joint activities on the formation and implementation of Frame Programme projects.
Embassy of Ukraine
in Georgia