The United States ambassadors from the GUUAM countries (Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova) declared today that the purpose of the GUUAM organization is to maintain the sovereignty and independence of the five former Soviet republics

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GUUAM COMMUNIQUE, JOINT STATEMENT WITH US ISSUED IN NEW YORK

Washington, D.C. November 15, 2001 - - At their yesterday’s meeting, GUUAM Foreign Ministers participating in the 56^th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York adopted a joint communiquй, in which they approved the Protocol of the Baku meeting of transport corridors security, discussed the creating the GUUAM information office and observer status in GUUAM, and expressed readiness of their states to initialize the GUUAM free trade agreement on November 28, 2001 in Tbilisi, Georgia.

The Ministers stressed the connection between terrorism and aggressive separatism, extremism, organized crime, illegal drugs and arms trade. They underscored the importance of the Adapted CFE Treaty as the basis for security in Europe and called for implementation of provisions of the Treaty as well as the agreements reached at the 1999 OSCE Summit in Istanbul. The GUUAM ministers strongly condemned all actions against sovereignty and territorial integrity of their nations, including aggression and illegal use of force and external support for separatist and extremist forces on their territories. Special concern was voiced regarding the lack of progress in resolving conflicts in the region and increased tensions in Georgia.

The Ministers also held another round of discussions within the framework of GUUAM- US dialogue with Undersecretary of State Marc Grossman.

The sides issued a joint GUUAM – US statement in which they declared that “the United States and the GUUAM nations stand united against terrorism and together resolutely denounced the barbaric acts of terrorism that were committed against the United States.” The GUUAM nations and the United States stated that they “will work to bring the perpetrators of the September 11 attack to justice and to fight terrorism” and that this is “a struggle to defend values common to Muslims and non-Muslims alike.” Building on close cooperation of individual states of GUUAM with the U.S. on combating terrorism, the sides explored possibilities for increased GUUAM – US cooperation in countering terrorism as well as in the areas of transport corridors security, preventing drug-trafficking, illegal arms trade and migration.

The United States and GUUAM nations, recognizing the threat of terrorism, have reiterated their continued support the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, as well as democratic development, of GUUAM states.

Embassy contacts: Azerbaijan – Elin Suleymanov (202) 337-3500; Georgia - Mariam Zhgenti (202) 387-2390; Moldova – Victor Chirila; (202) 6671130; Ukraine – Olesia Bozhko (202) 3330606; Uzbekistan – Ravshan Nazarkulov (202) 8875300.