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Ukraine counts on GUAM support in depriving Russian language of status of official, working language of organization – Kuleba
KYIV. Dec 20 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine is set for productive and decisive leadership during the Ukrainian Presidency of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova, GUAM) in 2023, and counts on the support of member states in depriving the Russian language of a status of the official and working language of the organization, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba said.
"I am grateful to the Moldovan Presidency this year and count on the support of the Ukrainian Presidency in 2023. Even while defending itself against full-scale Russian aggression, Ukraine is determined to take decisive and productive leadership in GUAM next year," the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs quotes the words of the minister during an online speech at the GUAM ministerial meeting.
Kuleba named five priorities for the Ukrainian presidency. They include the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the GUAM member states; creation of new economic opportunities and development of trade between the markets of Europe and Asia; promotion of the full functioning of the free trade area; interaction with the European Commission on the GUAM Transport Corridor; simplification of customs procedures and introduction of an integrated approach to documents for transportation within the GUAM Transport Corridor.
"We also count on the support of the member states in depriving the Russian language of the status of the official and working language of GUAM," he urged.
The minister noted that the Russian troops pretend to be peacekeepers on the territory of Moldova and Azerbaijan, but in fact they impede a peaceful settlement and the restoration of justice and territorial integrity.
In addition, Kuleba noted that the Russian Federation actually turned the Black Sea, which was supposed to be a space for interaction and mutually beneficial development for the GUAM states, into a war zone.
GUUAM was established in 1997 as a political consultative forum with the participation of Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova.
In 2006, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine created the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development – GUAM, which operates on the basis of the Charter and is a subject of international law.
