Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend S.Agayeva / Johannes Kirle, the Secretary General of the Austrian Ministry for European and International Issues, is expected to participate in the GUAM summit to be held in Baku on the 18-19 June.
Fuad Ismayilov, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Austria, said in a telephone talk, that Austria was invited to the summit due to its great interests in the region, including Azerbaijan.
During the visit Kirle plans to discuss bilateral meetings with the Azerbaijani officials. "The talks will focus on bilateral co-operation, co-operation within the framework of the European Union's New Neighborhood Program, as well as opportunities for Austrian assistance to Azerbaijan in the implantation of plans," the diplomat added.
Earlier, Valeriy Chechelashvili, the GUAM Secretary General, informed that the meeting will bring together the Presidents Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan, Mikhael Saakashviili, Vladimir Voronin, Moldova, and Victor Yuschenko, Ukraine. However, later it was announced that Moldovan Prime Minister Vasiliy Tarlev will substitute for the President at this event because of Voronin's visit to Brussels. In addition, the Romanian President Trian Basescu, Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus and Polish President Lekh Kachinski. "At the same time, Bulgarian Vice President, Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister, US Deputy Secretary of State and more probably США, Croatian President Stepan Mesich are also expected to attend, he added.
As an alternative to CIS the four post-Soviet republics Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova, established this format in 1999 during the summit of the head of state of the European Union member-countries in Strasbourg. In 1999 Uzbekistan joined the organization, but left after four years. GUAM was established as an economic alliance of countries - potential participants of energy resource transportation projects. Gradually, the military political component, particularly, the establishment of the peacemaking forces, have been observed in its activities. The issue is expected to be under discussion at the forthcoming summit of GUAM in Baku.