Ukraine`s Defence minister Anatoly Gritsenko forecasted that a peacemaking contingent of the member-states of Organization for Democracy and Economic Development GUAM is likely to be formed till the middle of 2007, Trend reports referring to UNIAN.
I think that will happen in the first half of the next year, said the Ukrainian Minister.
He pointed out that that several meetings connected with this issue has already been held. According to Mr. Gritsenko, the structure and task of the forthcoming contingent have already been worked through. At the same time, he refused to sound them until a final decision is taken.
The Ukrainian Defence Minister stressed that there will be a decision to be made by the Defence Ministers of the GUAM members-states, and then it will be put forward for further consideration by the Presidents of the GUAM member-states.
On May 30, 2006, the Ukrainian and Azerbaijani Defence Ministers discussed a possibility on forming a joint peacekeeping element within Organization for Democracy and Economic Development GUAM. Later, the Ukrainian Defence Minister pointed out that the GUAM peacekeeping contingent will perform tasks on the mandates of UN or OSCE if it is formed.
I cannot say exactly whether this element will be formed to perform peacekeeping tasks on the mandates of UN and OSCE or not, said Mr. Gritsenko.