Valery Chechelashvili: "GUAM will prove its effectiveness in the near future"

-Has the GUAM secretariat received Moldova's notification on the intention to quit the organization?

-No, I have not received any notification of the kind. Moreover, Moldova continues active participation in all work groups and bodies of GUAM. As it was scheduled, the council of national coordinators of the organization will be held in Moscow on May 12-13. We will take part there to prepare for the Tbilisi summit and hold discussions on the urgent issues of our cooperation.

At the same time, I understand the expectations of the heads of our countries and governments that GUAM, as a regional organization, should make a more significant contribution to execution of specific programs and projects of cooperation. In this sense, it should justify the hopes of the leaders of the states, connected with the implementation of their own political and economic interests.

I merely want to say that currently this system of cooperation is being established and the most important is the activity of the world sphere groups of GUAM, which should propose definite ideas to the national coordinators, Foreign Ministers and heads of states. The working bodies should generate ideas on the implementation of regional programs and projects.

In the near fture we will offer new technological opportunities with the use of the recent achievements in the sphere of computer communication, video connection between the capitals and it will create new opportunities for GUAM and the potential will meet the requirements, the leaders set to us.

Therefore, I see this all as a process as a problem of a growth of the organization and we will continue the work to execute all instructions, set at the Baku summit of GUAM a year ago. The Tbilisi summit, I think, will be a serious contribution to this process.

-Does it means that the recent open resentment of Moldova President Voronin about the slow implementation of the economic projects in the framework of GUAM and his announcement about Moldova's unwillingness to take part in this organization just against someone, does not allow to speak of the soonest transformation of GUAM into GUA?

-I understand the expectation of the President, connected with GUAM. I think, this features positively the potential of GUAM, which the heads of states wanted to use when adopting the basic documents.

Compared with other regional organizations, GUAM has more opportunities and potential, as the external political systems of the priorities of our countries, are close to each others though not being in the same dimensions.

Therefore, the principle of adoption of resolutions and quality of political interaction in our organization is much higher, therefore, expectations are also high.

-Can you present an example of the success that GUAM has reached in the sense of economic cooperation through these years?

-One of the significant events is the rise in the internal trade in GUAM by $1,000,000,000 within a year. It can not be argued that the trade expansion is an objective reality. Such a free trade area can hardly record a 40% rise in domestic trade turnover within 2 years following its creation.

-So, are GUAM prospects not so frustrating, as evil-wishers say?

-Of course, not. Certainly, this does not mean that we lack problems in the ports, on the border or transport communications. Yet the bodies and work groups of GUAM are seriously dealing with this issue. In particular, an important conference on transit and a session of our work group to consider all these issues will be held in Baku in a week.

In a result, a comfortable area of cooperation in this Black Sea-Caspian Sea region, represented by the GUAM states, will be created for all of our countries. This is not easy. On the whole, I can say, basing on my experience of work in other international organizations, that the implementation of specific regional programs and projects of cooperation is not an easy task.

In this sense GUAM is not an exception. It is an exception in the sense that the level of political interaction is high and demands are also high. We are ready for these demands.

I think, we will prove our effectiveness in the near future, which will take time.

/Day.Az/