The member states of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development GUAM and the partner states came together in Chisinau for the seventh session of the Parliamentary Assembly of GUAM. In the opening of the event, the participants condemned the armed conflicts taking place in the member states and agreed to cooperate in dealing with the faced problems by peaceful dialogue, IPN reports.
Moldova holds the presidency of the GUAM PA. Head of Parliament Igor Corman welcomed the participants, saying that 2014 is a difficult year, with challenges and also accomplishments, not only for Moldova, but also for the other member states – Georgia, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan. Moldova wants to make the European agenda a priority so that the Association Agreement with the EU is felt by all the country’s people, including those living in the Transnistrian region. A sustainable dialogue between countries is key to stability in the region.
Zurab Abashidze, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia and head of the Georgian parliamentary delegation to GUAM, said that Russia occupied 1/5 of Georgia’s territory in order to hinder the country’s Euro-Atlantic integration and continues its aggression, including in other GUAM members states. All the conflicts should be resolved peacefully, while the GUAM Parliamentary Assembly can become a powerful instrument in this respect.
Elżbieta Radziszewska, Deputy Marshal of the Polish Sejm, said that Poland saw in GUAM a reliable partner, while the crisis in Europe shows that a country cannot cope with its problems by itself. Poland supports the territorial integrity of the states of Eastern Europe and promotes the observance of the international law.
Elton Mammedov, head of the Azerbaijani Parliament’ delegation to the GUAM PA, believes that the session held in Chisinau will contribute to strengthening the relations between the GUAM member states and their partners.
Giedrė Purvaneckienė, Vice President of the Baltic Assembly, stated that security and peace in Europe are now in danger, while Russia’s aggression points to the inefficiency of a number of agreements and commitments. It is important for the GUAM countries to confirm their path to development, while the Baltic countries will help them with their experience.
Rustam Raupov, deputy head of the delegation of the Ukrainian Parliament, voiced hope that the current session will take important decisions. The risks and challenges in the region will be a subject for discussion. Rustam Raupov believes that the GUAM member states must come closer to the EU.
The seventh session of the GUAM Parliamentary Assembly is taking place on November 10-11.
