Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili arrived in Baku today to take part in a summit of leaders of GUAM member countries. The regional summit, which brings together the heads of state of Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova, has taken on international significance, as EU countries, the USA and Japan are coming to recognize it as a fully-fledged partner.

The leaders taking part in the summit received a special note from US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice which noted the importance of GUAM's status as an international organization and the creation of its General Secretariat. She also pointed out that the USA supports the further strengthening of the organization.

Meetings between the leaders of GUAM states, as well as other countries in the region, are being held on the sidelines of the summit. Saakashvili has already met the presidents of Azerbaijan, Poland and Lithuania. They discussed the importance of the alliance and prospects for its expansion. In the future there will be discussion about creating a GUAM peacekeeping force and deploying contingents to Georgia's conflict regions. At present, Russian troops are carrying out peacekeeping missions in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Some 10 documents will be signed at this second GUAM summit, including the Baku declaration, an intergovernmental memorandum on nuclear and radioactive security issues and an agreement on cargo movement. Eight heads of state, representatives of 30 governments and international experts from various countries are in attendance.

President Saakashvili spoke to Georgian journalists following his meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

"Azerbaijan is now Georgia's main supplier of gas. This winter, when we were in an almost hopeless situation, we managed, together with Azerbaijan, to resolve the main issue concerning Georgia's energy security. Our relations with Azerbaijan are not only formal, but rather they have a strategic importance for saving and strengthening Georgia. Azerbaijan has clearly expressed its support for our interests.

"The summit is already a success because Poland, Lithuania and Romania - EU countries - are represented here. This means that our region is no longer so easy to oppress, let alone devour or gobble up, as some people might think. So this is an important step forward. Of course we have a lot of work to do and very many complicated issues remain to be resolved, but the situation is changing sharply in our favour, which is something we thought unimaginable just a few years ago," he said.

GUAM gained the status of international organization two years ago. The alliance's General Secretariat will be located in Ukraine. Its first head will be Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Valeri Chechelashvili.

Communications Office
of the President of Georgia