Victor Yushchenko has opened a GUAM summit.
 
Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin, Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus and Bulgarian Vice President Angel Marin are present at the meeting.

They are going to officially register GUAM as an international organization headquartered in Kyiv, sign its statute and a joint declaration. The Heads of State also plan to discuss energy cooperation and consider ways to settle so-called frozen conflicts. They will then focus on the implementation of the GUAM-U.S. Program, the president press office reports.

In his opening statement, Victor Yushchenko said, “Making GUAM an international organization is a part of processes forming a new system of foreign affairs.” He added that one of the reasonsto create the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development was a positive experience of cooperationwithin GUAM.

 
Victor Yushchenko has stated: “We are now laying the foundation for our future to create a zone of stability, security and prosperity, which is homogenous with the constantly enlarging European Union and consistent with European norms and standards.”

He said the GUAM states had managed to successfully implement cooperation priorities stipulated by the Yalta Charter. The organization has been internationally recognized by the United Nations and often invited to take part in economic forums and conferences held by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Then the President thanked the United States for helping GUAM elaborate the GUAM-U.S. Program, which is intent to promote trade and transportation, improve customs and border regulations, fight terrorism and organized crime and prevent drug trafficking. He also expressed gratitude to Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria for their support.

Yushchenko said our resolution to join the European Union and NATO, promote democracy, enhance European integration, stimulate economic development, strengthen stability and security in the region had made it possible to re-establish GUAM as international organization. The new status will make its positions stronger and help the countries become an integral part of the international security system, he added.

Their major task now is to show that ODED-GUAM (Organization for Democracy and Economic Development-GUAM) can be effective in promoting democracy, the rule of law, human rights and freedoms, economic development, security and stability in the region. The new organization will also focus on building closer ties with the European Union and NATO, as well as our partners and neighbors, by formulating effective mechanisms of cooperation, he said.

The Head of State added that, “only together” they would be able to settle all conflicts in the GUAM region: “We urge all the neighboring countries to spare no effort to settle confrontations as soon as possible. Ukraine and Moldova’s experience of engaging in peacekeeping operations in the Republic of Trans-dniester shows that this approach is right and effective.”

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