Azerbaijan, Baku 15 April / corr Trend S.Agayeva / Reports regarding Moldova leaving the GUAM has been totally exaggerated, Valeriy Chechalashvili, the GUAM Secretary-General, stated.
"Moldova has not sent an official statement to GUAM of its intention to leave the organization," Chechelashvili said.
Four post-Soviet republics; Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova, established the GUAM format in 1997 during a summit of presidents of European Union countries in Strasburg. In 1999, Uzbekistan joined the organization but left four years later. In 2006, at the first summit of the organization in Kiev a decision was made to announce GUAM as an international organization with a new name; Organization for Democracy and Economic Development - GUAM.
Earlier Moldova's President Vladimir Voronin stated on in expediency of his country's participation in GUAM. He felt it would affect Russia's position on the conflict resolution in Trans-Dnestr.
The correspondent can be contacted at [email protected]