Moldovan Leader Slams GUAM

Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin said GUAM, a grouping of Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova, had failed to bring tangible results to his country.

In an interview with Russian daily Kommersant, which was published on March 11, Voronin also confirmed that it was his country that had scuppered GUAM plans for joint peacekeeping forces.

“When GUAM was being set up, it set different goals. There were discussions about the construction of the Odessa-Brody-Gdansk oil pipeline. But when I looked at the route [of the proposed pipeline], it bypassed Moldova,” Voronin said. “On top of this, other strange things started to happen last year. Talks about setting up [GUAM] peacekeeping forces started. I asked why? And I was told: we all have conflicts. So what? We already have internationally recognized peacekeeping forces, so why do we need more? Thank God GUAM decisions are taken on a consensus basis and we refused to sign the document; the proposal was thwarted.”

When asked whether Moldova would quit GUAM like Uzbekistan did, Voronin replied: “Such a decision should be made by Parliament. But generally, membership of any organization should bring efficient benefits. If there are none, there is no point [in being a member]. And if there is no point, membership becomes burdensome… Moldova is not the kind of country, which can serve as a counter-balance to someone else.”