Your Excellency Mr. Chairman,
Your Excellencies,
Distinguished Heads of the Delegations,
Ladies and gentlemen,

At the outset, let me express my gratitude to our hosts for the traditional hospitality participants and guests of the Forum are accepted in the beautiful city of Baku and for the excellent organization of the Baku Summit.

I completely share views repeatedly sounded today that the Baku Summit of Heads of States means not simply picking up Presidency by Azerbaijan from Ukraine. Having in mind Documents, approved during last two days, we have solid reasons to state, that we are entering into qualitatively new phase of cooperation.

After Kiev GUAM Summit of Heads of States during Ukraine’s Presidency in the Organization cooperation has been systematized and GUAM institutionalization was practically completed. As one, not the most important outcome of this process, your obedient servant has an opportunity to address this distinguished Forum. Taking an advantage of this opportunity, I would like to express my gratitude to delegations of the Member States and to assure them, that I will, together with my colleagues in the Secretariat, make my utmost for the implementation of the goals and objectives of the Organization.

In a few minutes Heads of Delegations will sign the Baku Declaration. It reflects the political assessment of cooperation in GUAM format and defines the priorities of interaction for the year to come. It establishes common vision of cooperation prospects for GUAM region and emphasizes, that it is necessary «to fully engage the capacities of GUAM Member States with a view to create a common space of integration and security in the GUAM region». It is key idea. All the documents, ready for signature are serving it. The Program of Presidency of the Republic of Azerbaijan is focused on it as well.

At the same time, Presidents have approved sectoral Strategies of GUAM cooperation. This is new factor of development in our Organization, reflecting readiness of our countries not simply to cooperate, but also to further develop common approaches in all spheres of cooperation, albeit practical implementation of the idea of common space of integration and security.
Eight working groups GUAM will be focused on the implementation of the above-stated ideas as well, each of our Member States coordinating activities of two of them.

Hence, activities of GUAM, success of our Organization will depend on concrete subjects, reflected in the Agendas of working groups, and, forgive me for awkward expression, from quality of considered ideas and quality of approved documents. As the result of this process we should receive new proposals for the development of legal base of multilateral cooperation and will define the prospects for the implementation of regional projects, including that of infrastructure character, being the best materialization of interaction in GUAM format.

In other words, ideas should be realistic, plans well defined, and results of work practical. It is very important, the results of cooperation within GUAM framework to be positively assessed entrepreneurs and citizens of our countries

Proceeding from the goals and objectives, formulated by the Heads of Delegations in their statements, current activities of the Secretariat will be focused on the main following areas: full-fledged functioning of a free trade zone, toughening of struggle with organized, including transnational, crime, enhancing of cultural-humanitarian cooperation and implementation of regional projects. In aggregate these components represent a basis of space of civilized partnership and its establishment represents the key idea of Baku Declaration. Naturally, major external direction of activity of the Organization is consolidation of support of international, first of all, the European community for the policy of GUAM Member States and Organization itself for the peaceful settlement of conflicts. In this context inclusion, following the initiative of GUAM, of an item on protracted conflicts in GUAM space into the Agenda of General Assembly of the United Nations is a vivid success of our Organization and a recognition of its international authority and reputation. In the year to come, activities of the Secretariat will be focused on all the subjects mentioned above.

To conclude with, allow me once again to express my gratitude to the President of Ukraine for active and effective Presidency and assure the President of Azerbaijan, that all resources of Secretariat will be mobilized to support the implementation of the impressive Program of Presidency of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Thank you, mister Chairman.

Baku, June 19, 2007