Azerbaijan, Baku, September 28 / Trend T. Konyayeva /
Japan intends to continue to support the GUAM countries (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova) in establishing their free market economies and democracies, the Japanese Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Masamitsu Oki, told Trend.
"We carry out joint projects within GUAM on trade investment, tourism and renewable energy sources. We intend to continue their implementation, because the GUAM countries are important for us as strategic partners," Oki said.
GUAM was established by post-Soviet countries in 1997 during the EU presidential summit in Strasbourg. Uzbekistan joined the organization in 1999 and left it after four years. A decision was made to announce GUAM as an international organization and give it a new name "Organization for Democracy and Economic Development - GUAM" at the first summit of the organization in Kiev in 2006.
GUAM-Japan, GUAM-U.S, GUAM-Visegrad Group operate within GUAM.