GUAM not going to compete with CIS

According to Itar-Tass, Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine – Elmar Mammadyarov, Gaela Bezhuashvili and Boris Tarasyuk and Moldovan Deputy Foreign Minister Valeriu Ostalep agreed that GUAM would be given a status of international organisation.

"GUAM is not going to compete with the CIS. The CIS is not effective today. The advantage of GUAM is that the member-countries have common foreign political positions. Unfortunately, the positions of CIS countries do not coincide on many issues," the Georgian minister said.

He noted that the GUAM ministers would discuss the frozen conflicts. "I believe that GUAM will vote unanimously within international organisations. This will prove of good interaction between the four states on the settlement of territorial problems," the minister said. In his view, GUAM "will have a cementing impact on the fight against aggressive separatism."

Tarasyuk said on Tuesday, the GUAM states would sign regulations, "Organisation for Democracy and Economic Development of GUAM". He said the sides were also expected to adopt a joint declaration on the settlement of conflicts and documents, which would determine the organisation's activity in the future. "The summiteers will discuss issues, which are vital both for GUAM countries and the entire Black-Caspian region," Tarasyuk pointed out.