Azerbaijan, Baku, 29 April / Trend corr. E.Ismayilov / The 4th meeting of the Task Group on the issue of transportation of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development- GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova) began in Baku on 29 April.
The key goal of the conference is to develop transit transportation and trade relations amongst GUAM member-countries, as well as economic and political issues, Musa Panahov, Deputy Transport Minister of Azerbaijan, stated.
Furthermore, the state of transport infrastructure amongst GUAM countries, as well as the state of legal basis and its upgrade is expected to be discussed during the meeting.
As a result of the meeting, a protocol will be signed which will create the possibility to carry out work to increase transit transportations amongst GUAM countries and the use of transport infrastructure which connects Europe and Asia.
The agenda of the meeting includes the issues to develop the transport infrastructure in order to create a stable link for multi-model transportations amongst GUAM countries and the unification of capabilities of the transport corridor TRACECA and train of combined transport Viking ( Caspian Sea-Black Sea-Baltic Sea); possibilities of cargo transportation exported from Ukraine and Moldova to Central Asia, Persian gulf, and Middle East countries via the territories of Azerbaijan and Georgia; appropriateness of development of common demands for transporters and operators of multi model transportation, as well as bilateral cooperation amongst GUAM countries.
Four post-Soviet republics; Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova, established the GUAM format in 1997 during a summit of presidents of European Union countries in Strasburg. In 1999, Uzbekistan joined the organization but left four years later. In 2006, at the first summit of the organization in Kiev a decision was made to announce GUAM as an international organization with a new name; Organization for Democracy and Economic Development - GUAM.
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