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from the very beginning in M I N I S T E R
seeking economic develop- PLENIPOTENTIARY
ment, a market economy, B A K R A D Z E
social market development, (GEORGIA):
the ideals of democracy and As noted by the respectful
human rights. Ambassadors, GUAM is an
organization based on
AMBASSADOR cooperation among its four
LAPICUS (MOLDOVA): members aimed to promote
In our opinion, the institu- stability and strengthen
tion of GUAM on 10 security aspects of our
October 1997 had as its countries. As an alliance
priority the necessity of based on reciprocity and
development and co-opera- common understanding of
tion among the four coun- set objectives, it was and
tries in order to reinforce still aims to promote and
stability and security in enhance the democratic
Europe. This was a matter of values and rule of law in our
respecting the sovereignty, states. In that respect, the
the territorial integrity and keynote issues perceived as
the inviolability of borders, cornerstones of this organi-
as well as democracy, the zation are:
His Excellency Mr Elchin Amirbayov, Ambassador of
rule of law and respect for • the security aspects in
Azerbaijan
human rights. relation to energy sector;
• the conflict settlement/
and the United States, Japan, imposed by one country on
The Strasbourg Declaration, resolution; and Poland, the Baltic States and another; this is a voluntary
• the cooperation in the
the
by
mentioned
Romania union of like-minded States
Ambassador of Azerbaijan, military and political who think that, by joining
describes the intensification spheres. We can also notice the their efforts together, they
of the political approach and inclusion on the UN General can more easily and more
increasing co-operation Q: What do you Assembly agenda a point efficiently achieve the goals
among the member states in consider as the main
about the long-term (frozen) they have set themselves.
several fields -- both inter- achievement of the
conflicts in the territories of These are: economic deve-
nationally and bilaterally. organization?
GUAM and the consequen- lopment, strengthening of
The objectives of GUAM
ces for security and interna- political interaction, deepe-
were reconfirmed in the MOLDOVA: One can note
tional development. ning and strengthening of
Yalta Charter of 7 January several achievements of democratic development,
2001, which stressed inten- GUAM. One of the most
AZERBAIJAN: I fully ensuring respect of human
sification and development important is the fight against
share what was said by the rights and so forth. Of cour-
of commercial and econo- terrorism, organized crime,
Ambassador of Moldova, se, it would be difficult to
mic relations, the develop- drug trafficking and other
but I would like to approach ensure this without the sup-
ment of infrastructure and serious crimes. This is
your question from a diffe- port that GUAM has recei-
international security, as shown by the institutionali-
rent angle. There are many ved from major internatio-
well as the struggle to over- zation of the GUAM Centre
international organizations nal players, such as the
come terrorism, illegal within each of the Ministries
or groupings of States that United States and the
migration, organized crime of the Interior. Another
have been established throu- European Union, as well as
and drug trafficking. achievement is the impor-
ghout history. When esta- from individual States such
tance of free trade, which
blishing our organization, as Poland, the Baltic coun-
UKRAINE: I would like to has doubled in volume in
we had a goal not to repeat tries, Japan and so on. We
point out that the history of terms of merchandise. For
the mistakes of the others, could say that the main
our four countries and our instance, comparing the first
but to adopt the best practi- achievement of this organi-
four peoples is not just a semester of 2007 with the
ces, to learn the lessons in zation was that, after a few
question of the last ten same period last year, trade
order to be able to state -- as years of existence, it did not
years. Ten years is the histo- has increased by € million.
we are doing ten years later vanish into thin air!
ry of our organization, This is a very good and posi-
today -- that we have mana- Moreover, it evolved and it
GUAM, but the history of tive result.
ged to establish ourselves as has become an international
friendly relations between
a voluntary association of player. GUAM is now reco-
our four peoples has lasted Another point worthy of
like-minded States that has gnized and its voice heard in
for hundreds of years. note is the constructive
not failed. It is not some- international arenas. GUAM
dialogue between GUAM
thing artificial; it is not
4 2007 Dive 19
diva: nternational