For immediate release
October 14, 1997

AZERBAIJAN, GEORGIA, MOLDOVA AND UKRAINE TO ENHANCE
REGIONAL COOPERATION

Washington, D.C. October 14, 1997. - During their meeting in Strasbourg on October 10, 1997, President H. Aliyer of Azerbaijan, President E. Shevardnadze of Georgia, President P. Luchinski of Moldova, and President L. Kuchma of Ukraine pledged further cooperation among their countries in establishing a Euroasian Trans-Caucasus transportation corridor which will foster the development of friendship and good-neighborly relationship.

The Presidents underscored the importance of strengthening the four-lateral cooperation "for the sake of a stable and secure Europe guided by the principles of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, inviolability of state frontiers, mutual respect, cooperation, democracy, supremacy of law, and respect for human rights.”

Leaders of the four nations reiterated in their joint communique the necessity for combating aggressive nationalism, separatism, and international terrorism, and were unanimous in assessing threats and risks for European, as well as for regional securities. They agreed that the process of integration into Trans-Atlantic and European structures can significally reduce these dangers for Europe, and promote greater regional cooperation. In this context, they underscored the prospects of the cooperation among the four nations within the framework of the OSCE, other European and Atlantic structures. This includes the newly created Euro-Atlantic, Partnership Council and the Partnership for Peace program.

The cooperation, like the one envisaged in the Charter on a Distinctive Partnership between NATO and Ukraine, in their view, can become an important element for strengthening stability, and serve as the basis for relationship and further development of cooperation between NATO and other countries in the region.

The Presidents agreed to continue on various levels the four-lateral dialogue on the above issues, and acknowledged the necessity to take advantage of the opportunities that other regional organizations and initiatives offer. The Presidents supported the Ukraine’s initiative to host in Crimea in 1999 a summit of the Black Sea and Baltic states’ leaders.

Enclosure: full text of the Joint Communique

Contacts: Araz Abbasov (tel.: (202) 842-0001), Embassy of Azerbaijan; Dovid Sumbadze (tel., (202) 393-5959), Embassy of Georgia; Andrei Popov (tel., (202) 667-1130), Embassy of Moldova; Natalia Zarudna (tel.: (202) 333-0606), Embassy of Ukraine.
 

JOINT COMMUNIQUE
Meeting of the President of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine

On October 10, 1997 the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine held a joint meeting where they addressed the issues of mutual interest including bilateral and regional cooperation, European and regional security, political and economic contacts.

During the meeting, the Presidents stressed the importance of the four nations cooperation in establishing a Euroasian, Trans-Caucasus transportation corridor, considering joint actions taken in this direction a sound foundation for fostering friendship and cooperation, good-neighborly relations and full utilization of existing economic opportunities.

In this context, the need to use the possibilities of other regional organizations and initiatives was acknowledged. The Presidents supported the Ukraine’s initiative to host in Crimea in 1999 a summit of the Black Sea and Baltic states’ leaders.

The Presidents underscored the need for strengthening quadrilateral cooperation for the sake of a stable and secure Europe guided by the principles of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, inviolability of state frontiers, mutual respect, cooperation, democracy, supremacy of law, and respect for human rights.

Leaders of the four nations were unanimous in assessing threats and risk for the European, as well as for the regional securities. They agreed that the process of integration into Trans-Atlantic and European structures could to a considerable extent reduce these threats and risks.

In this connection, they underlined the prospects of the four nations cooperation within the framework of the OSCE, other European and Atlantic structures, including the recently established Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and the Partnership for Peace NATO Program.

The Presidents of the four states agreed that such cooperation, as well as the development of a distinctive partnership, like that envisaged in the Charter on a Distinctive Partnership between NATO and Ukraine, could become an important element in strengthening stability, and serve as the basis for relationship and further development of cooperation between NATO and other countries in the region.
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine will undertake joint efforts in order to overcome the difficulties that Europe faces on the threshold of the 21th century.

Having expressed their concern with respect to the long-standing conflicts in Europe, the heads of the four states supported a prompt and peaceful settlement of the unresolved problems.

The President unanimously upheld the need for combating aggressive nationalism, separatism, and international terrorism.

The Presidents agreed to continue on various levels the quadrilateral dialogue regarding the aforementioned issues.

Strasbourg, October 10, 1997