Ukraine as the presiding country in GUAM in 2023 will continue to promote achievement of strategic goals embedded in the GUAM mission based on political dialogue, sectoral cooperation, and enhanced interaction in the GUAM+ format.

It will rely on the well-established practice, the solid decision-making process, and the proven instruments for cooperation of the Organization to efficiently transform GUAM purposes into measurable results.

Through activities envisaged in the GUAM Work Program, the Presidency will foster a constructive exchange of views on strengthening the stability, security, and competitiveness of the region, dealing with challenges and exploring opportunities.

The Ukrainian Presidency will implement a set of priorities grounded on the common goals and objectives established by the Member States and their joint decisions within the Organization. The envisaged actions will aim at tackling the current challenges and furthering the objectives of GUAM while providing for continuity and deepening regional cooperation.

In the conditions of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine and ongoing conflicts on the territories of other Member States of the Organization, the main priorities of the Chairmanship are:

  • Consistent efforts to ensure the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the GUAM Member States within their internationally recognized borders;
  • Use of economic cooperation opportunities to overcome obstacles in foreign trade and to facilitate prospective development in the format of interaction of European and Asian markets;
  • Promoting exchange of experience, best practices of conflict and post-conflict resolution, post-war rehabilitation, overcoming the problems of IDPs, meeting the special needs of persons affected by armed conflict;
  • Ensuring the full-scale functioning of the FTA after entry into force of the additional Protocol to the Agreement, signed on September 20, 2022;
  • Facilitating cooperation with the European Commission on the implementation of the GUAM Transport Corridor project;
  • Facilitating the customs procedures simplification and introduction of ‘end-to-end’ documents for transportation along the GUAM TC;
  • Elaboration of common procedures to ease the supplies of energy resources and electricity;
  • Introduction of digital technologies and innovations to respective GUAM Member States areas of cooperation;
  • Ensuring the interaction between the GUAM Member States law enforcement agencies and the national cyber security centres;
  • Cooperation in the areas of Youth and Education;
  • Promoting development of inter-parliamentary cooperation of the GUAM Member States within the GUAM Parliamentary Assembly;
  • Enhancing cooperation in the GUAM+ format.

Proceeding from threats stemming from ongoing aggressive and hybrid actions against the GUAM Member-States, their sovereignty and territorial integrity that do also threatening regional and international peace and security, the Chairmanship will continue coordinated efforts aimed at keeping respective issues on the agenda of international fora.

For these purposes, it will undertake measures for further interaction of the GUAM Member States within international platforms, particularly such as UN, OSCE, Council of Europe and international organizations in Geneva.

The Ukrainian Chairmanship-in-office will ensure coordination of the priority tasks and objectives of the GUAM Organization across its bodies and exert efforts aimed at facilitating stronger coordination among the GUAM governmental and parliamentarian dimensions.