MOLDOVA-GUAM
Abstract
In today’s world, where regional cooperation is an inalienable part of interstate relations, associative diplomacy is becoming an increasingly popular and high-priority focus of attention. This phenomenon took root in the system of international relations during the postwar era, but it was not until transnational regional organizations underwent further multifunctional development that the concept “associative or group diplomacy” was introduced into scientific circulation in the mid-1990s.
This definition can be found in the works of well-known researcher of diplomacy R. Barston, who believes that a special place is occupied in today’s diplomacy system by relations both among states within the framework of international regional organizations and among various regional groups and associations, as well as between states, on the one hand, and transnational regional organizations, on the other. In so doing, in the second case, the states should not be members of the international regional organization in question.1
R. Barston singles out four traits that make it possible for us to talk about associative diplomacy as a separate form of multilateralization:
- written arrangements (agreements, contracts, cooperation programs);
- periodical meetings between the leaders of partner states (consultations, summits, negotiations, and so on).
- coordinated policy and joint activities.
- drawn-up and officially approved systems and mechanisms of interaction between the sides (granting loans, carrying out commercial exchanges, rendering technical assistance, implementing joint projects, and others).2
All of these traits feature in diplomacy within the framework of GUAM, which makes it possible for us to describe this cooperation as group, or associative diplomacy.
In this article, we will look at issues relating to Moldova’s participation in the establishment and development of GUAM as a regional association; we will try to show Moldova’s role and place in this process; and we will analyze its associative diplomacy from the viewpoint of methods, means, and specific actions. Special attention will be given to the goals and tasks the country sets while cooperating within the framework of the regional organization GUAM.
Today, GUAM is a regional union which was institutionally registered as an international organization in May 2006. This took place at the summit in Kiev, where the structure acquired its official name—Organization for Democracy and Economic Development—GUAM. We will also note that prior to this meeting, Moldova chaired in GUAM and was extremely instrumental in helping this organization to transform into a full-fledged international transnational organization.
It is also important to note that Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin was the first to suggest a name for this structure. He proposed calling it the Commonwealth of European Choice for Democracy and Economic Development, but this proposal was not adequately supported by those gathered at the summit. Nevertheless, this does not mean that the Organization members rejected or reject the idea of European integration, which the Moldovan leadership has been focusing great attention on in the past few years.
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References
See: R.P. Barston, Modern Diplomacy, New York, 1995, p. 108.
Ibidem.
See: Charter of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development—GUAM. Art. 1, available at [http://
ww.guam.org.ua/267.0.0.1.0.0.phtml].
Ibidem.
V. Chechelashvili, “Sotrudnichestvo na vstrechnom kurse,” Kievskiy telegraf, No. 33, 17-23 August, 2007.
See: Joint Communiqué. Meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, available at [http://www.guuam.org/doc/browse.html].
The thing is that Uzbekistan did not officially withdraw from the GUUAM forum until 2005, although it ceased its active participation in the Organization’s activity in 2002.
“Tsel’ GUUAM—ukrepit’ i razvit’ SNG,” Nezavisimaia Moldova, 7 June, 2001.
See: Final Communiqué of the Yalta GUUAM Summit, available at [http://www.guam.org.ua/226.640.0.0.1.0.
html].
“Vystuplenie Prezidenta Respubliki Moldova na plenarnom zasedanii Sammita GUUAM,” Nezavisimaia Moldo-va, 23 July, 2002.
Ibidem.
Ibidem.
See: “Rol’ Moldovy v GUUAM dolzhna byt’ proiasnena,” Nezavisimaia Moldova, 23 July, 2002.
See, for example: Vladimir Voronin: “Moldova nakhoditsia na etape konkretnykh rezul’tatov.” Speech by Presi-dent of the Republic of Moldova Vladimir Voronin at a meeting with the diplomatic corps accredited in the Republic of Moldova, Nezavisimaia Moldova, 21 January, 2005.
In 2005, the GUAM countries suggested putting this particular question on the agenda of the 60th session, but their suggestion was not supported by the members of the General Committee which submits recommendations to the General Assembly concerning confirmation of the agenda. Out of the 28 members of the General Committee, only Azerbai-jan, Great Britain, and the U.S. voted for this suggestion, five members of the committee (Russia, Armenia, Angola, My-anmar, and Venezuela) voted against, and the other members abstained.
Document of the U.N. General Assembly No. A/61/195 of 14 August, 2006, available at [http://daccessdds.
n.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N06/466/35/PDF/N0646635.pdf?OpenElement].
Ibidem.
See: “Initsiativa GUAM v miagkom variante,” Nezavisimaia Moldova, 2 March, 2007.
Final Communiqué of the GUUAM Summit, available at [http://www.guam.org.ua/226.485.0.0.1.0.phtml].
See: “Rol’ Moldovy v GUUAM dolzhna byt proiasnena.”
Evaluation of the participation of the Republic of Moldova in GUAM, 2004-2005. Information presented on the official web page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova [http://
ww.mfa.gov.md/politica-externa/evaluarea-RM-in-guam-2004-2005/] (in Moldovan).
See: “Moldavskie parlamentarii—za dal’neyshee ukreplenie PA GUAM,” Nezavisimaia Moldova, 31 May, 2005.
“Vystuplenie predsedatelia Parlamenta Respubliki Moldova Mariana Lupu na vtorom Zasedanii stran-uchastnits PA GUAM (Yalta, 28 May, 2005),” Nezavisimaia Moldova, 31 May, 2005.
See: “Za demokratiiu i ekonomicheskoe razvitie” (Based on the documents of the press service of the head of state and information agencies), Nezavisimaia Moldova, 24 May, 2006.
Strany GUAM v 2007-2010 godakh poluchat ot Evrosoiuza EUR 915.000.000. Internet publication of the South Caucasian countries “Region. Iuzhnyy Kavkaz,” available at [http://newregion.org/news.php?i=13932].
See: Final Communiqué of the GUUAM Summit.
Ibidem.
See: Resolution of the Government of Moldova No. 178 of 15 February, 2005 “Ob utverzhdenii Natsional’nogo plana meropriiatii po realizatsii proekta po sodeistviiu torgovle i transportirovke v ramkakh GUUAM,” Monitorul Ofichi-al, 25 February, 2005.
The EUBAM Mission, which was planned for approximately two years, began its activity in November 2005.
he mission’s budget, which was envisaged until November 2007, amounted to 20.2 million Euros (according to the MOLDPRES Information Agency). For more information about the mission and its activity, see the official site of this mission at [http://www.eubam.org/].
See: “Konsul’tativniy sovet Pogranichnoi missii ES utverdil Plan deiatel’notsti na 2007 god,” Internet newspaper Press-obozrenie, 20 March, 2007, available at [http://press.try.md/view.php?id=82656&iddb=Polit].
See: “GUAM: ob’ediniaia kontinenty,” Nezavisimaia Moldova, 20 June, 2007.
See: GUAM Summit (Chisinau, 22 April, 2005). Information presented on the official web page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova at [http://www.mfa.gov.md/politica-externa/
ummit-guam-chisinau-2005/] (in Moldovan).
See: “Za demokratiiu i ekonomicheskoe razvitie” (Based on documents of the press service of the head of state and information agencies), Nezavisimaia Moldova, 24 May, 2006.
See: “GUAM: ob’ediniaia kontinenty.”
See: D. Valeriev, “Sammit bez Prezidenta. Pochemu vmesto Vladimira Voronina v Baku otpravilsia Vasile Tar-lev,” Daily newspaper Pul’s. Politika. Ekonomika. Obshchestvo, No. 23 (197), 22 June, 2007, available at [http://
ww.puls.md/article.php?id=162].
See: “GUAM: ob’ediniaia kontinenty.”
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