Azerbaijan Hosts Meeting of GUAM Parliamentary Assembly

The 9th meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development – GUAM held in Baku, Azerbaijan December 15th.

Opening the event, Azer Karimli, Head of the Permanent Delegation of the Parliament of Azerbaijan to the Parliamentary Assembly of GUAM (PA GUAM), informed the meeting participants about ongoing organizational work and activities as well as problems encountered by the member states. 

Speaking at the session, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said that GUAM has become a significant platform for cooperation among member states. 

Minister Mammadyarov emphasized the need for the consolidation of efforts to address protracted conflicts in the territories of GUAM countries. 

“Azerbaijan previously made numerous statements on the violation of the territorial integrity of GUAM member states. In compliance with the requirements of international law, we recognize the borders of the countries within their territorial integrity. Azerbaijan has demonstrated its position as regards Georgia and Ukraine. We have never recognized illegal visits from Azerbaijan to the occupied territories of Georgia and Ukraine. The four GUAM member states should mutually comply with this principle,” said the minister.

Minister Mammadyarov added that the issues of energy security, international transport corridor, and multiculturalism are of importance to GUAM countries. Meantime, he underlined the need to deal with economic and regional security issues.

During his speech, Altay Efendiyev, Secretary General of GUAM said that organization is becoming increasingly prominent and has transformed itself to a higher level of international cooperation. He addressed the issues that are of importance for the organization and noted the importance of combined efforts in restoring territorial integrity of the GUAM member states and addressing today's global threats and challenges. 

Organized at the Parliament of the Azerbaijan Republic, the event was attended by lawmakers and government officials from the GUAM member states as well as representatives of the international organizations, including Kakhaber Kutchava, member of the Georgian parliamentary delegation to PA GUAM, Anatolie Zagorodnii, acting head of the parliamentary delegation of Moldova, Anatoliy Matvienko, head of the Ukrainian delegation to PA GUAM, Janis Vutsans, President of the Baltic Assembly, Philip Voytex, Deputy Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament, Malgorzata Gosiewska, Deputy Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee in the lower House of the Polish Parliament, Asaf Hajiyev, Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, Jandos Asanov, Secretary General of TURKPA.

GUAM is an interstate regional organization established in 1997 by the Republic of Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine to promote democratic values, stable development, international and regional security, and increase the speed of European integration for its members.