On 1 December 2009, the 12th meeting of the GUAM Council of Ministers for Foreign Affairs (CMFA) with the participation of Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mr. Elmar Mammedyarov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Georgia Mr. Grigol Vashadze, Vice-Prime-Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova Mr. Iurie Leanca, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Mr. Petro Poroshenko, and GUAM Secretary General Ambassador Valeri Chechelashvili took place in Athens in the framework of the 17th OSCE Ministerial Council meeting.
The CMFA discussed the issues of GUAM Member States’ interaction in the United Nations, underlined the necessity of further intensification of their efforts in the framework of the Agenda’s item 14 of the 64th session of the UN General Assembly “Protracted conflicts in the GUAM area and their implications for international peace, security and development”, and commissioned the Permanent Representations of the GUAM Member Sates to the United Nations to carry out consultations with the interested countries and regional groups. The relevant instructions to this end were given also to the GUAM Secretariat.
CMFA considered the issues of GUAM cooperation with partner countries and, the same day, hold the meeting in the “GUAM+” format with four countries of the Visegrád Group chaired by Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Hungary Mr. Peter Balazs.
CMFA supported the proposal to organize in the beginning of 2010 the next regular GUAM-Japan meeting at the level of National Coordinators and marked the importance of the seminar on tourism for GUAM countries that took place recently in Tokyo.
CMFA estimated positively the implementation of the Framework GUAM-USA Program’s project on modernization of NIACs and protection of information within the GUAM ISIMS as well as the development of new project proposals on combating terrorism. CMFA took also the Decision that authorized the GUAM Secretariat to conclude contract on equipping the GUAM ISIMS.
CMFA instructed the Secretariat to intensify interaction with the GUAM National Coordinators and Coordinating Countries of Branch Working Groups to provide them support in elaborating projects and programs in both “GUAM” and “GUAM+” formats, including those with the Visegrád, Baltic, Nordic and other countries and regional organizations interested in cooperation with GUAM.
CMFA was reported on the activities of the GUAM Branch Working Groups and commissioned CNC to present to CMFA recommendations on further improvement of their activity.
CMFA welcomed the results of the Fourth session of the GUAM Parliamentary Assembly and its meeting with the delegation of the Baltic Assembly in Tbilisi on 9-10 November 2009, the adoption of the Joint Statement of the GUAM Parliamentary Assembly and the Baltic Assembly in Vilnius on 28 November 2009 as well as authorized the Secretariat to provide organizational and technical support to the GUAM Parliamentary Assembly.
CMFA discussed the issue and took the Decision on transferring the next Presidency in GUAM to Ukraine since the 1st of January 2010. CMFA took also into consideration that the Republic of Moldova would preside in the Organization since the 1st January 2011.
CMFA considered also some other issues of current activity of the Organization.
