GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development Facts for Kids

"GUAM" redirects here. For the Pacific island territory, see Guam.

Quick facts for kids GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development Georgian: დემოკრატიისა და ეკონომიკური განვითარების ორგანიზაცია სუამი, romanized: demok'rat'iisa da ek'onomik'uri ganvitarebis organizatsia suami Ukrainian: ГУАМ Організація за демократію та економічний розвиток, romanized: HUAM Orhanizatsiia za demokratiiu ta ekonomichnyi rozvytok Azerbaijani: GUAM Demokratiya və İqtisadi İnkişaf naminə Təşkilat Romanian: GUAM Organizația pentru Democrație și Dezvoltare Economică
Logo
GUAM members in blue; former member in red
Headquarters	Kyiv, Ukraine
Official language	Russian (1997−2014) English (2014−)
Member states	Georgia Ukraine Azerbaijan Moldova
Establishment

• GUAM consultative forum	10 October 1997
• Uzbekistan membership, GUUAM established	1999
• Charter signed	June 2001
• Uzbekistan withdrew, GUAM reestablished	May 2005

Area
• Total	810,506 km² (312,938 sq mi)
Population
• 2020 estimate	57,975,000
• Density	71.5/km² (185.2/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2020 estimate
• Total	$765 billion
• Per capita	$13,200
GDP (nominal)	2020 estimate
• Total	$223 billion
• Per capita	$3,800

The GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development is a group of four countries: Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova. These countries were once part of the Soviet Union.

GUAM was created in 1997 to help these countries work together. Their goals include improving trade, diplomacy, and democratic systems. The official agreement, called a charter, was signed in 2001. Today, GUAM represents over 57 million people.

From 1999 to 2005, Uzbekistan was also a member. In 2003, GUAM became an observer at the UN General Assembly. This means they can attend meetings and speak, but not vote. In 2007, GUAM even formed a military peacekeeping group and held joint military exercises. This shows how important GUAM became in the region.

The countries signed an agreement for a Free Trade Area in 2002. This means they wanted to make it easier to trade goods without extra taxes. More agreements were announced in 2017. However, as of 2022, this free trade area has not fully started.

Until 2014, the official language for GUAM meetings was Russian. After 2014, they decided to use English instead.

History of GUAM
Free Trade Area Plans
Members of GUAM
See also

History of GUAM

How GUAM Started and Grew (1997–2005)

A Ukrainian postage stamp from 2006, celebrating the GUAM Summit in Kyiv.

The cooperation between Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova began on October 10, 1997. They formed a group called the "GUAM consultative forum" in Strasbourg. The name GUAM comes from the first letter of each country.

In 1999, Uzbekistan joined the group. This changed the name to GUUAM. A big meeting was held in Yalta in June 2001. During this meeting, they signed GUUAM's official charter. This document made the organization formal.

The charter set out important goals for the group. These included promoting democratic values and making sure the countries developed steadily. It also aimed to improve international and regional safety. Another goal was to help these countries become closer to Europe.

In 2002, Uzbekistan said it wanted to leave the group. They stopped attending meetings. In May 2005, Uzbekistan officially left the organization. This changed the group's name back to GUAM.

A GUUAM meeting took place in Chișinău, Moldova, in April 2005. Important people from the US Department of State and the OSCE attended. The president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, said the group was becoming a strong force. He believed it could help solve problems in the Caspian—Black Sea region.

Strengthening Relationships (2006–2013)

GUAM's influence in the region grew. Some people in Russia saw GUAM as a way to reduce Russia's influence. They thought it was part of a plan supported by the United States. However, GUAM leaders have always said they want to have good relationships with Russia. Azerbaijan, which is a major energy producer in the group, has avoided conflicts with Russia.

In April 2006, three GUAM countries supported Ukraine. They agreed to condemn the Holodomor. This was a terrible famine in Ukraine in the 1930s that killed millions. They called it a genocide.

In May 2006, Ukraine and Azerbaijan announced plans to make GUAM even stronger. They decided to rename it the GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development. They also set up its main office in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. The other members saw this as a big step forward.

Also in May 2006, Ukraine's Defense Ministry announced plans to create GUAM peacekeeping forces. The next year, GUAM countries agreed to form a joint peacekeeping force of 500 people. This force would help fight against groups trying to break away from their countries.

In June 2007, the presidents of Lithuania, Poland, and Romania joined the GUAM leaders. This happened at a GUAM meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan. Other high-level representatives from countries like Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, the United States, and Japan also attended.

Recent Developments (2014–Present)

In December 2014, Pavlo Klimkin, who was Ukraine's Foreign Minister, suggested a change. He proposed that GUAM should use English during meetings instead of Russian. Russian was the main language used in official gatherings during the Soviet Union era. GUAM representatives agreed to this change.

In March 2017, GUAM officially made agreements about a free-trade area. They also agreed to make their customs rules similar. This would help make trade easier between member states.

In May 2021, three of the four members – Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia – formed a group called the Association Trio. They did this to work together more closely. Their goal is to become more integrated with Europe.

A clickable Euler diagram showing the relationships among various supranational organisations in the territory of the former Soviet Unionv • d • e

Free Trade Area Plans

An agreement to create a Free Trade Area among the GUUAM countries was signed on July 20, 2002.

In 2017, Ukraine announced new agreements. These were about creating a free-trade area and making customs procedures similar among GUAM members.

At a meeting in New York in September 2022, the Foreign Ministers of GUAM countries met. They signed a document about how to decide where goods come from. Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced that a free trade zone was established.

However, this Free Trade Area has not yet been fully approved or started. It is still unclear if the GUAM member states will approve it soon. There are also questions about how much a free trade area would help these countries financially. Other projects, like joining the European Union, might offer more benefits. GUAM is a regional group, but its usefulness to its members is still being discussed.