Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 8
By Ilkin Izzet - Trend:
GUAM is a unique organization in the post-Soviet area, the director of the Uzbek Center for Strategic Studies (CSS) "Caravan of knowledge" Farhad Tolipov said at a conference entitled "Azerbaijan-Central Asia: development, cooperation and common challenges" in Baku Oct. 8.
Tolipov said that Uzbekistan can once again become a member of this organization
"Despite that Uzbekistan left the organization, it continues to be an important platform for GUAM," he said.
"GUAM is important from a geo-strategic point of view," he said. "It is the only organization in the post-Soviet area which does not include Russia."
Tolipov also said that Russia is concerned about the creation of the Tashkent-Baku-Tbilisi-Kiev axis and Astana may join this axis in the future.
"Otherwise, Russia's role in this area may increase," he said.
Tolipov also said that a new security strategy is required in the region.