Azerbaijan, Baku / corr. Trend A.Gasimova / The Chairman of Georgia's Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Relations, Constantine Gabashvily, believes that the GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova) has not been established against anyone and that GUAM activities should not be of any concern to anyone.
GUAM is an important part of Georgia's foreign policy and is an opportunity for the relations of the Caspian region, Caucasus and Central Europe to develop, Gabashvily informed Trend. The participating countries involved in the second summit of the "Organization for Democracy and Economic Development - GUAM" will take place on 19 June in Baku. Before the summit, however, meetings of the Council of Foreign Ministers and Committee of National Coordinators will take place to prepare and approve the agenda of the summit of GUAM State Heads. Conducting three GUAM meetings in Baku is linked with the presentation of the GUAM chairmanship authorities to Azerbaijan.
" GUAM brings together countries with common values and positions," Gabashvily said. According to him, it would be positive to attract new countries to GUAM if these countries would meet GUAM requirements.
In addition, Gabashvily feels that primarily it needs to develop economic, especially energy issues within GUAM. "There are good opportunities in the energy sphere," he said. According to Gabashvily, the GUAM countries should also actively co-operate with regards to the humanitarian issues, free movement of the capital and democratic ideas, development of the public level, science and education.
GUAM was created in October 1997 by Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova. In 2001 GUAM received the international regional organization. The Regulation of GUAM was signed during the summit on 6-7 June 2001 in Yalta. GUAM Parliamentary Assembly was established in 2004. GUAM member-countries co-operate within international organizations, especially UNO and OSCE. In 2003 GUAM received observer status in the UN General Assembly.