Kiev hosts the GUAM member states summit - UPDATED

Kiev. 27 March. REPORT.AZ/ Kiev today plays host to the meeting of the heads of governments of the GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova), Ukrainian bureau of Report News Agency informs.

During the meeting, head of the Ukrainian government Volodymyr Groysman, Georgian government Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Moldovan government Pavel Filip and Deputy Azerbaijani PM Ismet Abasov will discuss raising the effectiveness of GUAM, developing economic component of cooperation of the organization's members.

Opening the meeting, Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman said that Ukraine will deepen transport cooperation within GUAM. "Within the summit, we will pay attention to our economic cooperation in the framework of organization." The first thing, of course, we are talking about is free roads and our transport interaction within the GUAM. Today we have unrealized trade relations in the framework of the organization, "Groysman said.

Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ismet Abasov, speaking at the meeting said that Azerbaijan is ready to become a transit center of the region, and all necessary infrastructure was created for this.

It is expected that, following the results of the ministerial meeting, additional protocol will be signed to the agreement on the creation of the GUAM free trade zone, which establishes the procedure for creation and operation of the working agency - the coordinator of the parties within the framework of the agreement, as well as the protocol on mutual recognition of certain results of customs procedures concerning goods and vehicles, passing through the state borders of the GUAM member countries.

At the meeting, the parties will discuss preparations for signing an agreement on the facilitation of the transit of goods and vehicles across the borders of the GUAM countries, which in turn will give impetus to the development of the GUAM transport corridor as an important link between Europe and Asia.