Moldova proposes a new title for GUAM

The president of the Republic of Moldova, Vladimir Voronin proposed to change the entitling GUAM to the Community of European Option for Democracy (CEO) and Economic Development. This proposal was made at the summit of GUAM head of state, which took place in Kiev during May 22-23. Voronin said that the new level the organization is attending determines the necessity of a more pragmatic and responsible attitude towards its name. According to the new draft statute, the organization is opened for new members, which means that the abbreviation *Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova is not anymore proper and the maintenance of the old name limits the “foreign policy” potential of this new subject to the International Relations. Referring to the priorities of the organization, Voronin said these must be direct to solving security, stability, and economic development problems. Another important goal is the European Integration or at least getting nearer to EU. “The huge interior potential of the Commonwealth of Independent States was not turned to good account”, added he. The Ukrainian president Victor Iuscenko, declared recently that the goal of the Summit from Kiev is to transform GUAM forum into an international organization and to adopt a new statute. Iuscenko specified that GUAM does not want to substitute CIS. At the works of the summit were invited the representatives of Romania, Bulgaria, Poland and Lithuania. The Russian president Vladimir Voronin was not invited to the summit. The creation of GUAM was announced in the autumn of 1997 by the presidents of Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and the Republic of Moldova who signed in Strasbourg a intention declaration. In April 1999, in Washington, during the 50 years celebration of NATO, Uzbekistan joined GUAM. In May 2005, not long time after the summit from Chisinau, Uzbekistan announced its withdrawal out of the organization.