Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 16 / Trend S.Agayeva /
GUAM discussed cooperation in culture, science and education this week.
The fifth meeting of a working group on culture, science and education was held in the GUAM Secretariat. Secretary General for Science at the Moldovan Academy of Sciences Ion Guchak, Georgian Permanent GUAM Representative Merab Antadze, Higher Education Department head at the Georgian Education Ministry Nuzgar Chitaia, representatives of GUAM member country ministries and agencies, and GUAM Secretariat Program Coordinator Sabuhi Temirov attended.
The group determined the priority areas for regional cooperation in culture, science and technological development. It agreed to develop proposals for organizing summer schools for young scholars to involve them to the advanced research in science and technological development. The group considered the issue of video conferences in priority areas in 2011 and establishing joint research teams of scholars of the GUAM member-countries. The participants of the meeting also agreed to make proposals on the concept of the GUAM grant programs in the areas of culture, science and education.
The next meeting is scheduled for the first half of 2011. The venue and date of the next meeting will be determined through diplomatic channels.
GUAM was established by Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine in 1997 during the EU presidential summit in Strasbourg. In 1999, Uzbekistan joined the organization, and four years later left. A decision was made to announce GUAM as an international organization under the new name, "Organization for Democracy and Economic Development - GUAM," at the organization's first summit in Kiev in 2006. The organization's secretariat functions in Kiev.