The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia issued a statement to stress its satisfaction that on September 13, 2006 the UN General Assembly decided to include the item entitled "protracted conflicts in the GUAM Area (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova) and their implications for international peace, security and development in the work programme of its 61st session, Trend Special Correspondent in Tbilisi reports.
The international organization of GUAM was responsible for including this item on the UN General Assembly's work programme as any such problems relating to internal conflicts focus very high on the agenda of a majority of its member-states. The Resolution was adopted following a deeply contentious debate between the members.
The Russian Federation, as a leading opponent of this Resolution, did all in its power to oppose the decision reasoning that, in accordance with the 13 September statement by Mr. Kaminin of the Russian Foreign Ministry it is the inadmissibility of politicizing this problem and applying a format of the General Assembly for it'. Given the political nature of the conflict existing in the territories of the GUAM member-states and the UN being one of the leading bodies promoting the peace process, such arguments are contradictory.
Despite the considerable controversy that surrounded this issue, active diplomatic efforts exerted by Georgia and other GUAM-member states and the strong support of friends and partners, including the US, has led eventually to the adoption of this extremely important resolution.
In addition, the results of the votes proved that more countries have come to realize that unresolved and protracted conflicts jeopardize the political, economic and social development of many countries including the lives of millions of people. With the inclusion of this resolution in the work programme, we are afforded one more opportunity to attract the World's attention to this significant issue and encourage a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia expressed its thanks to all the countries supporting the inclusion of the resolution on protracted conflicts in the UN General Assembly's work programme.