Uzbekistan Leaves GUUAM

(Tbilisi, June 14, Civil Georgia) – Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan has officially announced on June 13 that Uzbekistan pulls out of a strategic alliance of five former Soviet republics GUUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Moldova), Associated Press reports.

Uzbekistan formally notified embassies on June 12 of the other members of the group. 

GUUAM was set up in 1997 as a political, economic and strategic alliance designed to strengthen the independence and sovereignty of its members. Uzbekistan joined the group later, in 1999.

The Uzbek Foreign Ministry said the Tashkent was pulling out because it saw no progress on the tasks set by the organization.