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The US remains committed to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of GUAM member states, said the joint statement adopted during the GUAM-US meeting held as part of the 21st OSCE Ministerial Council in Basel, Switzerland.
The joint statement was posted on the official website of GUAM.
Reaffirming all the previous GUAM-USA statements, the sides assessed their cooperation following the last GUAM-USA Ministerial Meeting, held in New York on September 26, 2014, and exchanged views on issues of mutual interest. The sides expressed interest in the dialogue that has taken place since the GUAM establishment.
The sides underscored the need for progress toward the peaceful resolution of the conflicts in the GUAM region. It was noted that threat or use of force currently affecting the member states of GUAM remains a serious concern. The sides reaffirmed their commitment to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the GUAM member states.
The sides agreed to continue dialogue on these conflicts.
The sides expressed deep concern over the aggressive actions directed against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and recalled their obligations to respect universally recognized norms and principles of international law, including those enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and their commitments under the fundamental documents of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
The sides reconfirmed the GUAM-USA Joint Statement of 26 September 2013 on the importance of projects, supported by the United States and jointly implemented with other international organizations and structures. Inter alia, the participants took positive note of the successful completion of two projects, both implemented jointly with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), to combat money-laundering and illegal drug trafficking.
They also welcomed publication of the Compendium of drug-related statistics concerning GUAM as an outcome of engagement with the UNODC Afghan Opiate Trade Project (AOTP).
The sides supported the continued implementation of the project for capacity building and infrastructure support for GUAM’s Virtual Law Enforcement Center (VLEC). GUAM ministers expressed their gratitude to the United States for its important assistance to GUAM, both financial and technical.
The sides reconfirmed their desire to continue high-level dialogue on a broad range of regional and global issues.
The time and venue of next GUAM-USA meeting will be decided through diplomatic channels.
The GUAM format was established by post-Soviet countries in 1997 at the meeting of the heads of states of the European Union in Strasburg. Uzbekistan joined this format in 1999, but left after four years.
During the first summit of this format in Kiev in 2006, a decision was adopted declaring GUAM an international organization and about its new name, the ‘Organisation for Democracy and Economic Development – GUAM’.
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