Saakashvili, Voronin Sign Joint Declarations on Democracy, Secessionist Conflicts
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and his Moldovan counterpart Vladimir Voronin signed on March 2 in Moldova?s capital Chisinau two joint declarations ? one about the supremacy of democratic values and another regarding the secessionist conflicts.
The joint Declaration over the Supremacy of Democratic Values and Principles is similar to that one signed by Saakashvili and Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko in January, known as Karpat Declaration. The latter alluded to a “third wave of democratization” based on the recent, peaceful revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine.
Another joint Declaration Against Black Holes in Europe refers to the Russian-backed secessionist regions of Transdnestria in Moldova and Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia.
?We [Georgia and Moldova] share many similar problems and first of all we both are facing the problem of territorial integrity. So signed documents absolutely reflect this issue,? Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin said.
?There is no place for lawlessness, violence and for all those things which have exhausted us for all these years, in Europe,? President Saakashvili said.
Reports say that the joint declarations are written in English, unlike other documents signed between the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, which are in Russian.
At the joint news conference after the talks the two Presidents assured that the cooperation between Georgia and Moldova is not directed against Russia.
?We have no desire to create alliances against Russia. It would have been very foolish [decision to do so],? Georgian President said; however he added that Georgia and Moldova are independent states and ?it is high time to forget about those kinds of relations, which existed during the Soviet times.?
