PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV ATTENDS SUMMIT OF GUAM MEMBER-STATES
Opening the summit Ukrainian President Victor Yushenko greeted the heads of the GUAM member-states – President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Mikhail Saakashvili of Georgia, Vladimir Voronin of Moldova as well as the guests including President of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus, Vice-President of Bulgaria Angel Marin and representatives of Romania, US Department of State and OSCE. He said the summit is of great importance for the future development. According to him, transformation of the GUAM into an international organization is a part of the general process of formation of the new system of international relations. Participation of international organizations and representatives of other countries is the evidence of the increasing interest in the GUAM. Expansion of cooperation between this organization and the European Union will be useful for the GUAM member-states in terms of ensuring their territorial integrity and strengthen peace and security. Ukrainian President said putting an end to the conflicts GUAM member-states faced is possible only by their joint efforts and called on neighboring nations to take effective measures (efforts) to settle these conflicts. He said GUAM countries expressed their willingness for active and constructive cooperation in this direction with the European Union, OSCE as well as the USA and other states.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev delivered a speech at the summit. The Head of State thanked the Ukrainian side for excellent organization of the meeting. Stressing the importance of the GUAM and the need for cooperation within the organization from the standpoint of integration into Europe, he noted that the countries are at the new stage of strengthening their independence and move closer in regional cooperation. In this sense, energy factor will take a priority place in our relations. Economic projects will further strengthening positions of our countries and stepping up integration in the European Union. In the Head of State’s opinion, finding solution to transport problems is of great significance for developing the economies of the GUAM member-states.
Highlighting the need to fight separatism and terrorism, the President noted that it is impossible to struggle against terrorism on one’s own. The Head of State reminded that territorial integrity of three of four GUAM member-countries was violated. There is a need to take a common approach in fight against separatism; otherwise, it can cause tragic consequences.
President Ilham Aliyev underlined that GUAM in its new format will prove its worth in the international arena and become a really influential organization in the region.
President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili pointed in his address to non-fulfillment of the collective security matters set forth in the CIS charter. He highly appreciated President Ilham Aliyev’s ideas on fight against separatisms and terrorism, stressing the role that Azerbaijan is playing in strengthening cooperation in all areas including oil and gas supplies to the world markets. He also noted that transportation of energy resources via Georgia and Black Sea as well as Ukraine and Moldova will be extremely useful from both political and commercial point of view. President of Georgia also shared his view on resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhaz and Transdnestrian conflicts. Noting that GUAM is not aimed against any country or organization, M. Saakashvili said: “Strengthening of our organization is the will of its member-countries, and efforts in this directions will be consolidated”.
Moldavian President Vladimir Voronin spoke of the work done during his country’s chairmanship of the GUAM. Thanks to the efforts by member-states, he said, GUAM has turned into an international organization, and its Secretariat started its activity. Mr. Voronin described as very important the creation of the international organization GUAM Youth Forum. He stressed the February, 2006 meeting in Baku had made it possible to clearly realize the necessity of working out the GUAM member-states energy strategy.
President of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus, Vice-President of Bulgaria Angel Marin, Foreign Minister of Romania Mikhai Rezvan Unguryanu, Secretary General of BSEC Leonidas Chrysantopolous and other guests at the summit mentioned that GUAM had been built on a sound basis, and that cooperation within such organizations, would be useful from the standpoint of development of democratic values and achieving important progress in various fields. They also described realization of joint energy projects for economic development of the Black sea and the Caspian littoral states as requirement of the day, and expressed their support for the efforts towards expanding of the regional cooperation.
Afterwards, the heads of state were informed on the meetings of the GUAM member-states’ ministers of foreign affairs, economy, energy, transport, as well as head of customs and frontier services, interior bodies and chambers of commerce, and on the documents to be signed.
Then, Moldova handed chairmanship of GUAM to Ukraine, and the summit discussed routine affairs.
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