George Tsereteli addresses GUAM Parliamentary Assembly session, Tbilisi, 18 December 2017COPENHAGEN, 21 December 2017 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President George Tsereteli (MP, Georgia) addressed the session of the GUAM Parliamentary Assembly in Tbilisi this week, highlighting activities and priorities of the OSCE PA, as well as areas of common interest between the two assemblies. GUAM, a regional format for co-operation between Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova, is marking its 20th anniversary year in 2017, with Georgia currently holding the chairmanship.

Tsereteli’s remarks focused in particular on the impact of protracted conflicts in the region and how this adversely affects co-operation and economic development.

“The reality in this region is that all of our countries are impacted by protracted conflicts and this is posing a huge barrier to progress. From Ukraine to Moldova to the South Caucasus, we all see the effects on economic development and human security. We therefore must work together to cope with this problem and resolve our conflicts,” Tsereteli said.

He added that dialogue is vital in this regard and that countries must continue to exchange best practices in the pursuit of peace-building, democracy and economic development.

Tsereteli pointed out that the OSCE PA is an open platform that seeks to pursue strong ties with other international and regional organizations, including GUAM.