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GUAM-US meeting held in New York

28 September 2007 09:34 (UTC +04:00)

APAâ€™s US bureau reports that Daniel Fried, Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs and Matthew J. Bryza, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs attended the meeting.
The United States reiterated its long-standing support to and interest in GUAMâ€™s further development as a regional organization and its active contribution into international affairs. The United States reaffirmed its commitment to a peaceful settlement of the unresolved conflicts in the region and to negotiations to achieve it. The United States reaffirmed its support for the territorial integrity of the GUAM States within their internationally recognized borders.
The US Delegation welcomed the early entry into force of the Agreement between the GUAM Member States on the International Multimodal Cargo Transportation concluded during the GUAM Summit in Baku and expressed readiness to assist in its implementation.
The GUAM Member States reiterated their commitment to strengthen their cooperation in consolidating democracy, increasing security and deepening economic, scientific, humanitarian and cultural relations in the GUAM region. The US Delegation welcomed this as well as the commitment of the GUAM Member States to European norms and values and the aspirations of the GUAM Member States toward European integration.
The GUAM Ministers expressed their gratitude to the Government of the United States for providing technical and financial assistance to their Organization, including at the initial phase of activity of newly established GUAM Secretariat. The US Delegation welcomed the opening of the GUAM Secretariat in Kyiv.
Both sides agreed to examine the current state and prospects of the GUAM-US partnership, including the progress achieved in advancing the GUAM-US Framework Program. In this regard, the Parties expressed their readiness to discuss the details of further development of the Program at the meeting of GUAM National Coordinators with the appropriate representatives of the US State Department scheduled to take place in the fall of 2007 in Washington D.C. The US side welcomed GUAM initiative to hold a conference in Washington D.C. on the prospects of development of GUAM.
The parties reaffirmed their willingness to develop joint efforts with a view to strengthen cooperation in combating international terrorism, expanding Europe-Asia Trans-Caspian links, promoting energy security through diversification of energy supplies, developing infrastructure for natural gas and oil transportation, ensuring stable economic growth and making democratic reforms irreversible.
The US welcomed the interest of GUAM Member States in further deepening cooperation with the European Union in fields of mutual interest and underlined the importance of EU support for GUAM projects.
The sides agreed to have the next GUAM-US meeting during the OSCE Ministerial Conference in Madrid on 28-29 November 2007. /APA/