BAKU HOSTING INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON RESOLUTION OF CONFLICTS IN GUAM COUNTRIES
Representatives from GUAM members states as well as officials and experts from 15 countries, including the United States, Turkey, Great Britain, Germany, Israel, Poland, Romania, Austria and the Baltic region have gathered in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, to find more effective ways of solving conflicts in GUAM countries.
The conference aims to support efforts to implement decisions made by heads of GUAM states (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova) and to mobilize wide international support for the member countries.
The conference was opened by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov who said a Joint Declaration on settlement of conflicts was adopted at a Kiev summit of GUAM heads of states on May 22-23, 2006.
“Through this document the member countries gave political and legal assessment to armed conflicts in their territories, drew attention to threats to international security and obstacles preventing sustainable development of countries, as well as defined principles for resolution of the conflicts”, Mammadyarov underscored.
“We have repeatedly discussed the issue concerning resolution of conflicts within international organizations, including GUAM. And what the final result of these discussions was is that territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova must have been provided. And official Baku believes that this approach will lead to prompt resolution of conflicts”, the Azerbaijani FM said.
He also said the existing conflicts create obstacles for GUAM countries` geopolitical and economic development.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Azerbaijan Stepan Volkvetski said his country attaches great importance to resolution of frozen conflicts. The diplomat added Ukraine supports the settlement of conflicts in accordance with the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity of those countries.
The Ukrainian ambassador went on to say that Kosovo does not set a precedent for other conflicts, including Nagorno-Karabakh.
Deputy State Minister for Reintegration Issues of Georgia Dimitri Manjavidze said “the present situation is unacceptable and should be changed. The conflicts in Georgia will be solved in line with Georgia’s territorial integrity and interests of all ethnic groups. Any foreign factor is inadmissible. No negotiations are being carried out on the conflicts in Georgia, we should start the process from zero”.
Moldova’s Deputy State Minister for Reintegration Issues, Ion Ptevila, said the international community does not pay enough attention to resolution of the conflicts.
GUAM Secretary General Valeri Chechelashvili spoke of the organization’s activities. He said GUAM has turned into an international organization from a regional one.
Chechelashvili stated that GUAM`s potential allows it to achieve resolution of conflicts on the basis of international legal norms.
“Separatist regimes in GUAM member countries` territories have no future”, he underscored.
Other news in this section
