On February 29, 2016, the Secretary General of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development – GUAM, Mr. A. Efendiev, was received by the Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, Ambassador Mr. V. Ristovski.
The Parties exchanged information related to the main directions of the Organization’s activity and also discussed potential areas for cooperation.
Ambassador Ristovski spoke about the experience already gained in various spheres, such as constitutional reform, judicial reform, fighting corruption, reforming the police system, developing legislation in the field of public assembly, freedom of expression, and other areas.
He also noted the existence of special Council of Europe programs for Eastern Partnership countries, which may also be used for GUAM countries.
The SG conveyed information regarding cooperation between law enforcement agencies within the framework of the WG on combating crime, particularly such areas as fighting corruption, money laundering, and also spoke about the functioning of relevant GUAM PA Committees. He also expressed interest in establishing cooperation regarding the implementation of democratic reforms in the GUAM countries.
The Parties agreed to continue consultations upon identifying specific topics of interest to GUAM.
