Tbilisi, Georgia, Dec.2
By Nana Kirtzkhalia - Trend:
Chairman of the GUAM Parliament Assembly and Vice-Speaker of the Georgian parliament Zurab Abashidze considers cooperation in the GUAM format as important on the way of European integration.
GUAM brings together four countries: Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova. These countries have chosen the way of European integration and are included in Eastern Partnership programme, he said.
GUAM actively cooperates with the Assembly of Baltic countries, as well as the Benelux and Visegrad group, Abashidze said. It is planned to intensify relations with Scandinavian countries.
Tbilisi is hosting the sixth meeting of the GUAM Parliament Assembly today. Alongside parliamentary delegations from GUAM countries, representatives of Poland, Latvia and Estonia are also participating.
Georgia is currently chairman of GUAM PA, but will hand over the chairmanship to another member state on the principle of rotation at the meeting.
The GUAM format was established by post-Soviet countries in 1997 at the meeting of the heads of states of the European Union in Strasburg. In 1999 Uzbekistan joined this format but left after four years.
At the first summit in Kiev in 2006, a decision was adopted declaring GUAM an international organisation and about its new name, namely the 'Organisation for Democracy and Economic Development - GUAM'.