Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 6 /corr. Trend N.Abdullayeva / Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and GUAM have different priorities in the activity, although their interests do not intersect, Secretary General of GUAM said.
CSTO considers military-political component as the important direction of co-operation, whereas basic directions of GUAM are to create space for civilized partnership in the region and realize concrete projects with regards to sectoral co-operation such as transport, energy, tourism, cultural-humanitarian co-operation, Valerie Chechelashvili, GUAM Secretary General, told Trend in telephone conversation from Kiev.
On Feb. 4, the CSTO countries agreed to create general forces to combat terrorism and other threats, noting that yet NATO has not responded to the call for co-operation.
CSTO includes Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Belarus and Uzbekistan, which decided to join the regional military and political bloc only in the special cases.
The diplomat said that the composition of the CSTO and GUAM is different. "They deal with the development of co-operation in the territory of their own countries, but we deal with the development of co-operation in the Black Sea-Caspian region, in the territory of our four states," he said, adding that "the time will tell what concept is better".
Commenting on the signing of CSTO document on creation of the general Armed Forces, Chechelavshvili said that he did not get familiarized with it. "I did not read it, but I can say that it is their work. They are sovereign states, and they have the right to make decisions which they consider necessary, he said. It is obvious that signing this document clearly demonstrates difference in the approaches of organizations CSTO and GUAM also on how international co-operation must be developed".
Chechelashvili considers that the task and principles and the spirit of co-operation, which have been formed in the declarations of GUAM, most correctly reflects today's desires of the member states of organization. "We consider that co-operation with regards to economy, trade, transport, tourism is the priority, on which it is necessary to focus today, and we do it," he said. But if the Heads of State consider that the military-political component requires development, then it will occur, said Chechelashvili.
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.
Have you feedback? Contact our journalist at: [email protected]