Secretary General of GUAM – about the future of the interstate association and the role of Moldova
From January 1, 2018, Moldova will chair the GUAM in the rotation. Altai Efendiev, Secretary General of the organization, paid a visit to Chisinau. And, according to him, the agenda proposed by the Republic of Moldova is very ambitious.
Excerpt from an Interview:
– In modern dynamically changing geopolitical space, such a regional organization as the GUAM has very good prospects because it unites the states with common interests.
– GUAM as a full-fledged international organization has clear objectives, tasks, mechanisms and instruments of interaction. In the current situation, there are very good prerequisites and the GUAM format is in demand more than ever.
– The Agreement on Establishment of Free Trade Area is the basis for close interaction and integration between states. Economic cooperation is also facilitated by such prerequisites, as WTO memberships, signed Association Agreements with the EU, as well as the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (three of the four countries). Azerbaijan is at the negotiating stage on a new Comprehensive Strategic Agreement with the EU and the prospects exist for this agreement.
– We are doing everything possible within the Organization’s competence to resolve the frozen conflicts in the GUAM space. For example, we promote annually within the UN General Assembly the Resolution «Protracted conflicts in the GUAM area and their implications for international peace, security and development». This problem not only hinders the development of our countries but also carries the serious risks and threats for the whole international community, and primarily for European stability and security.
Therefore, we see the role of GUAM as an organization in stimulating the development of Free Trade Area and Transport Corridor that the GUAM could fulfil an important function of the vital transport artery connecting Europe and Asia. And then the international community will be interested in stability and security in this region.
23rd March 2018, Radio Europa Libera.
