Territorial integrity and sovereignty of GUAM member states supported at OSCE Permanent Council

Vienna, June 9, AZERTAC Secretary General of GUAM, Organization for Democracy and Economic Development, Altay Afandiyev has attended a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, Austria. In his remarks, Afandiyev reminded that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of GUAM as an international organization, saying it has become an important format for regional cooperation based on the unity of common interests and strategic objectives of the member states. Highlighting the problems and challenges facing the member states, the Secretary General noted that the ongoing conflicts in the GUAM area pose threat to sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of the member states. He described these conflicts as an obstacle to the democratic development and regional cooperation and development. Afandiyev emphasized that these conflicts must be solved only within sovereignty, territorial integrity and internationally recognized borders of the states concerned. GUAM Secretary General drew the OSCE participating states' attention to the organization`s achievements in a number of areas, including the development of GUAM Transport Corridor, the creation of GUAM Free Trade Zone, joint fight against transnational organized crime, and cyber security. "The realization of GUAM Transport Corridor will particularly contribute to the development of transport cooperation between Asia and Europe." Saying the GUAM region is facing serious challenges in becoming a place for peace, stability, security, cooperation and sustainable development, Secretary General Afandiyev called on the international community and the OSCE to support the GUAM member states' efforts in this regard. Apart from the representatives of the GUAM member states, including Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova, the permanent representatives of the EU, US and Turkey to the OSCE addressed the event, hailing GUAM's role in ensuring regional peace, stability and development and the member states' efforts in this regard. The speakers noted that the delay in the resolution of existing conflicts in the GUAM area poses a threat to peace and stability. They also hailed the necessity of solving the conflicts on the basis of norms and principles of international law, respect for territorial integrity, sovereignty and the inviolability of internationally recognized borders of states.