GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 08:52, 30 June 2023

Revision as of 18:17, 7 August 2023

Line 50:

Conceived in 1997 to harmonize and integrate commercial, diplomatic and democratic relations among its member states, the GUAM treaty charter was signed in 2001 and today covers a population of over 57 million people. [[Uzbekistan]] was also a member of GUAM in the 1999–2005 period. In 2003, GUAM became an observer in the [[United Nations General Assembly|UN General Assembly]]. In 2007, GUAM also established a military [[peacekeeping]] force and organized joint military exercises. Such increasingly deepened integration and relationships led to GUAM playing an important role in the region's diplomatic and commercial affairs.

The agreement on a Free Trade Area was signed in 2002. In 2017, additional agreements on a [[free-trade area]] were announced, but the FTA has not been ratified and has not entered into force.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/guam-2-0-can-free-trade-revive-the-forgotten-regional-bloc/ |title=ArchivedGUAM copy2.0: Can Free Trade Revive the Forgotten Regional Bloc? |date=3 October 2022 |access-date=19 June 2023 |archive-date=19 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619163458/https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/guam-2-0-can-free-trade-revive-the-forgotten-regional-bloc/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The official negotiating language of GUAM was Russian, but it was scrapped in favor of English in 2014.

Line 74:

===After Russian invasion and annexation of Crimea (2014–present)===

In December 2014, then-Ukrainian Foreign Minister [[Pavlo Klimkin]] proposed that GUAM should use English during meetings, instead of Russian, which was also the main language used in official gatherings in the [[Soviet Union]]. GUAM representatives agreed.<ref>{{cite webnews|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/26727422.html|title=Ex-Soviet GUAM Switches To English|websitenewspaper=RadioFreeEuropeRadio Free Europe/RadioLibertyRadio Liberty|date=5 December 2014 |access-date=7 April 2018|archive-date=13 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161113104508/http://www.rferl.org/a/26727422.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rferl.org/content/article/26727422.html |title=Ex-Soviet GUAM Group Drops Russian, Switches To English |date=5 December 2014 |work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |access-date=14 January 2015 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304122815/http://www.rferl.org/content/article/26727422.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In March 2017, GUAM officially established agreements on a [[free-trade area]] and harmonization of customs procedures among its member states.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kmu.gov.ua/en/news/249849049|website=[[Government of Ukraine]]|access-date=13 November 2020|date=27 March 2017|title=In the framework of the GUAM summit governments of Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova signed protocols on the establishment of the FTA and mutual recognition of results of customs control procedures|archive-date=13 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113180237/https://www.kmu.gov.ua/en/news/249849049|url-status=live}}</ref>{{update inline|date=September 2021}}

Line 84:

== Free Trade Area negotiations ==

An Agreement on Establishment of Free Trade Area between the GUUAM Participating States was signed on July 20, 2002. <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://guam-organization.org/en/protocol-on-rules-for-determining-the-country-of-origin-of-goods-to-the-agreement-on-establishment-of-free-trade-area-between-the-guuam-participating-states/ |title=ArchivedProtocol copyon rules for determining the country of origin of goods to the Agreement on Establishment of Free Trade Area between the GUUAM Participating States |date=20 September 2022 |access-date=19 June 2023 |archive-date=19 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619163502/https://guam-organization.org/en/protocol-on-rules-for-determining-the-country-of-origin-of-goods-to-the-agreement-on-establishment-of-free-trade-area-between-the-guuam-participating-states/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2017 Ukraine announced agreements on a [[free-trade area]] and harmonization of customs procedures among its member states.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kmu.gov.ua/en/news/249849049|website=[[Government of Ukraine]]|access-date=13 November 2020|date=27 March 2017|title=In the framework of the GUAM summit governments of Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova signed protocols on the establishment of the FTA and mutual recognition of results of customs control procedures|archive-date=13 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113180237/https://www.kmu.gov.ua/en/news/249849049|url-status=live}}</ref>

At the 77th Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly held in New York on September 20, 2022, the Foreign Ministers of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development (GUAM) members came together on the sidelines and held the 39th Cabinet meeting of GUAM. After the meeting, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova signed a protocol on the determination of the country of origin of the goods. In addition, it was announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine that a free trade zone was established between the GUAM countries.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ankasam.org/free-zone-developed-in-the-shadow-of-the-russia-ukraine-war-economies-of-guam/?lang=en |title=ArchivedFree copyZone Developed in the Shadow of the Russia-Ukraine War: Economies of GUAM |date=October 2022 |access-date=19 June 2023 |archive-date=19 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619165001/https://www.ankasam.org/free-zone-developed-in-the-shadow-of-the-russia-ukraine-war-economies-of-guam/?lang=en |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://guam-organization.org/en/protocol-on-rules-for-determining-the-country-of-origin-of-goods-to-the-agreement-on-establishment-of-free-trade-area-between-the-guuam-participating-states/ |title=ArchivedProtocol on rules for determining the country of origin of goods to the Agreement on Establishment of Free Trade Area between the GUUAM Participating States |date=20 September copy2022 |access-date=19 June 2023 |archive-date=19 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619163502/https://guam-organization.org/en/protocol-on-rules-for-determining-the-country-of-origin-of-goods-to-the-agreement-on-establishment-of-free-trade-area-between-the-guuam-participating-states/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Free Trade Area has not been ratified and has not entered into force. It is too soon to be sure whether GUAM member states will ratify the free trade area soon or if the project will be placed on hiatus. There is also the question about to what extent an FTA could help financially GUAM countries compared to other projects, such as European Union membership or the Middle Corridor. GUAM is a regional bloc that has not demonstrated its usefulness to its member states compared to other organizations or projects that GUAM member states are part of.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/guam-2-0-can-free-trade-revive-the-forgotten-regional-bloc/ |title=ArchivedGUAM copy2.0: Can Free Trade Revive the Forgotten Regional Bloc? |date=3 October 2022 |access-date=19 June 2023 |archive-date=19 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619163458/https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/guam-2-0-can-free-trade-revive-the-forgotten-regional-bloc/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Members ==