On 30 March 2010, the 3rd meeting of the Working Group on Emergencies (WGEMRG) took place in the GUAM Secretariat in Kyiv. The meeting was opened by Chairman of WGEMRG Mr. Vitaliy Bout, the First Deputy Minister of Ukraine for Emergencies and Protection of Population aftermath the Consequences of Chernobyl Catastrophe, and GUAM Secretary General Ambassador Valery Chechelashvili. First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in Ukraine Mr. Kondo Siunsuke participated also in WGEMRG meeting as the representative of one of the GUAM partner countries.

WGEMRG listened to the report on the implementation of 2009 Working Plan, determined the priorities for developing its Working Plan for 2010.

WGEMRG discussed the issues on the formation and implementation of the GUAM member states’ common policy in the sphere of prevention of emergencies and elimination of their effects, including those related to the improvement of interaction between the relevant national institutions as well as the status and further development of the legal basis of the cooperation.

WGEMRG agreed upon draft respective documents and took the Decision on the adoption of the Plan of Joint Activities for 2010-2011 on the implementation of the Agreement between the Governments of the GUUAM Participating States on Cooperation in the Field of Prevention of Emergencies and Elimination of their Effects signed on 4 July 2003, the Procedure for the exchange of information in case of natural or man-made emergencies, and the Plan of cooperation in the field of education and training of personnel.

WGEMRG recommended continuing exchange with the experiences of the GUAM member states’ cooperation with other international organizations and structures in the sphere of prevention of emergencies and elimination of their effects, including that one within the Eastern partnership Flagship initiative “Prevention of, preparedness for, and response to natural and man-made disasters”.