On 2 December 1998 there was a meeting of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova end Ukraine (the GUAM States), who were participating as the heads of the delegation of those countries in the work of the Seventh OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting in Oslo.

This meeting provided an opportunity to discuss a broad range of questions pertaining to the furtherance of co-operation among the GUAM States in the political, economic and other areas. The Ministers noted with satisfaction that co-operation within the QUAM framework had demonstrated, the need for and potential benefits of further interaction between the four States and had brought closer their positions in all areas of their joint activities.

The parties stressed the need to step up the involvement of the GUAM group in the work of such international organizations and structure as the United Nations, the OSCE and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. The Ministers expressed their support for the adoption in the very new future of a decision on Azerbaijan’s and Georgia’s accession to the Council of Europe, noting that this would be of great importance in those countries’ efforts to strengthen their democratic institutions.

The parties discussed current issues on the OSCE agenda – specifically, the conflicts in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova in the context of the consolidation of stability and security in the OSCE area. They reaffirmed their intention to intensify their joint efforts to bring about the earliest possible peaceful settlement of these conflicts on the basis of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the States concerned, and they underscored the unacceptability of any settlement schemes at odds with these fundamental OSCE principles. While noting that the OSCE had achieved some progress in the Tskhinvali region of Georgia, the parties expressed serious concern at the lack of tangible results in the Organization's involvement in the search for a settlement to the other conflicts.

The Ministers also noted the importance of continued co-ordination by the GUAM States of their contributions to the negotiations on the adaptation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.

The parties indicated their recognition of the importance of economic factors in promoting stability and security in the OSCE area. In that context, they drew attention to the need for concerted action by the GUAM States in the economic arena.

It was agreed that an important role in tackling a number of socio-economic problems facing the GUAM States would be played by further four-way co-operation in developing a Eurasian transport corridor and also in establishing a multivariant pipeline system to bring the energy resources of the Caspian Sea to world markets.

In their capacity as the heads of the delegations of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and. Ukraine, the Ministers for Foreign Affairs expressed their intention to deepen the four-way cooperation among their countries at all levels.

Oslo, 2 December 1998