Members of the Public Association “Patria mea e Moldova” said GUAM, whose declared goal is to develop cooperation between states for consolidating common stability and security in the European area, is nothing but a soap bubble.
In a news conference at IPN, Artiom Guriev, a member of the Association, said GUAM was created like a “sanitary corridor” between Russia and the EU. Its goal was to diminish the countries’ economic and energy dependence on Russia and to prepare them for entry into NATO. The GUAM member states have different political regimes and different levels of economic development. The free trade area of which they form part is the only thing that unites them. “GUAM was created because the member states had concrete objections towards Russia, but the attitude to Russia changed in time,” stated the activist.
Association member Nelly Bartash said the separatism problems and the unstable relations with Russia are the aspects that unite the GUAM member states. During 20 years, GUAM could not demonstrate successful economic activity. The idea of building an energy corridor that would bypass Russia also failed. GUAM didn’t assert itself as an economic organization and a proof is the fact that the US$ 40 million provided by the U.S. at the end of the 1990s for economic programs wasn’t utilized.
Activist Tatiana Gogu said GUAM during the past few years became a political-military organization. Uzbekistan left the organization in 2005, invoking the excessive politicization of this and the lack of economic accomplishments. The membership dues paid by Moldova to GUAM - over US$ 75,000 - could be used for other purposes so that the population enjoys more benefits.
Moldova’s Parliament hosted the 11th session of the GUAM Parliamentary Assembly during September 27 - 28.
