GUAM members pledge closer security, economic cooperation

Leaders of GUAM members pledged on Friday to change the regional organization into a "structure" which would be able to promote their economic ties and guarantee their security and stability, said reports from the Moldovan capital of Chisinau.

At the end of a summit in Moldova, the presidents of Azerbaijan,Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova said in a statement that they will strengthen cooperation in the political and military fields, including peacekeeping missions.

The four Guam members are ready to step up their energy cooperation and sign joint contracts to carry fuels produced around the Caspian Sea to European markets, and also hope to strike a deal soon on establishing a free trade area.

The leaders also said they are willing to form partnerships with the European Union, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO),the United States and all the countries and organizations who endorse GUAM's purposes. The leaders called on members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to urge Russia to withdraw troops and arms from Moldova and Georgia.

Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus and his Romanian counterpart Traian Basescu attended the summit as observers. Also present were representatives from the United States, Hungary, Bulgaria and Poland.

According to the Moldovan Information Agency, Russia's ambassador to Moldova voiced his country's displeasure with not being invited to the GUAM summit.

GUAM, a regional organization for economic cooperation, was set up in 1997 by Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova.

Source: Xinhua