GUAM not going to form peacekeeping battalion yet

PanARMENIAN.Net - Establishing GUAM peacekeeping battalion is not priority for the organization at the moment, GUAM Secretary General Valery Chechelashvili said.  



"Currently, establishing peacekeeping battalion is not priority of organization's activities," Chechelashvili said. "Now we focus on development of concrete programs and projects on cooperation in economy, trade, transport, energy and tourism."



Chechelashvili did not rule out possibility of consideration of this issue in future when there are good opportunities.



He said GUAM is already universal organization the regulations of which allow to deal with any kind of activities.



The possibility of establishing GUAM peacekeeping battalion has been considered in the next few years. It was envisaged that the battalion will operate under the mandate of the UN Security Council or OSCE for the implementation of peacekeeping operations in conflict zones in the member countries of GUAM. GUAM members are Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova.



In May 2007, the establishment of peacekeeping units within the framework of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development - GUAM was suspended. Later the Moldova government said the country was not yet ready for such talks, Trend Azeri news agency reported.