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Valery Chechelashvili: â€œWe donâ€™t intend to establish GUAM peacekeeping contingentâ€ â€“ INTERVIEW

Valery Chechelashvili: â€œWe donâ€™t intend to establish GUAM peacekeeping contingentâ€ â€“ <font color=red>INTERVIEW</font>

22 April 2011 08:52 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Habil Suleymanov â€“ APA. GUAM Secretary-General Valery Chechelashviliâ€™s interview to APA

- Mr. Secretary-General, how do you assess the role and activity of Azerbaijan within GUAM?

- Azerbaijan is a founder of our organization and takes active part in its work like in other regional cooperation organizations. In this respect, Azerbaijanâ€™s chairmanship in the organization in 2007 was an example. All cooperation system was pushed forward, series of important international conferences and events were held, as well as important documents, including Baku Declaration, agreements about the GUAMâ€™s field cooperation strategy and cargo transportation were signed in that time.

Today the important aspect is that Azerbaijan actively participates in the working groups of the organization. Azerbaijan coordinates the activity of the working group on transport and information technology. Azerbaijan submitted the coordinated version of the transport corridor concept in the working groupâ€™s last meting in Kiev. The document will be approved this year and surely it will contribute to the effective development of the GUAMâ€™s transport and transit opportunities. Azerbaijan also successfully coordinated the work of the GUAMâ€™s working group on tourism last year. Baku Declaration adopted on June 25, 2010 for the development of joint tourism product and relevant action plan created basis for the GUAM cooperation in this field. Azerbaijan actively participated in the work of tourism groupâ€™s 9th meeting in Tbilisi on April 14, 2011. Tourism officials of the GUAM countries adopted Tbilisi Declaration at this meeting. A new action plan for the development of tourism product within the GUAM-Japan cooperation was approved at the same time.

- Azerbaijan will take over the GUAM chairmanship next year. What do you expect from this chairmanship?

- I believe that it will be dynamic and substantial chairmanship. I also believe that we will achieve the new level of political cooperation during the Azerbaijanâ€™s chairmanship. GUAMâ€™s working groups will continue their dynamic activity and new programs will be developed within the framework of GUAM and GUAM+. The organizationâ€™s secretariat will make all efforts for the full fulfillment of the Azerbaijanâ€™s chairmanship program.

- Are you expected to visit Baku in the near future?

- Yes, indeed. I constantly pay visit to GUAM member countries for the purpose of holding the consultations. It helps me in my work, many projects and ideas are animated during such contacts. I hope that I will visit Baku, which is developing dynamically and has a special meaning for me.

- GUAMâ€™s summit is expected to be held this year. Is the summit agenda known?

- Moldova took over the GUAM chairmanship in the 14th meeting of the foreign ministers in Kiev on February 24, 2011. The presidential election process in Moldova has not been finished yet. Correspondingly the response to your question depends on it.

- The GUAM countries make efforts to submit the problem of occupied territories in GUAM space to UN discussions. Is the UN General Assembly expected to discuss relevant document and its adoption in its current session?

- It must be noted that, this is very important project for us and we continue our efforts on the consolidation of the public opinion for the support of our position on the solving of the protracted conflicts. Our position is open and clear and based on the international norms and principles. We will do our best efforts for the adoption of this document by the UN General Assembly.

- Earlier you declared that it was impossible to establish the GUAM peacekeeping forces because Moldova is a neutral country, because the decisions in GUAM are adopted on the basis of common consent. Does it mean that the establishment of GUAM peacekeeping contingent is not actual?

- You have correctly described the situation. At present moment GUAM is not engaged with the military and political cooperation. Correspondingly we donâ€™t intend to establish GUAMâ€™s peacekeeping contingent.