TBILISI. Feb 26 (Interfax-AVN) -- Georgia's new leaders have proposed a revision of activity of the GUUAM regional organization bringing together Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova in order to strengthen military cooperation in the organization's framework, Defense Minister Gela Bezhuashvili said on Thursday.
"We should update aims and goals of GUUAM in the sphere of political and economic cooperation, and as to the military component, we should think what we can link it with," Bezhuashvili told Interfax-Military News Agency.
"Attempts have been made to link the military component to transit supplies of energy carriers through GUUAM nations or to the creation of a joint peacekeeping battalion. We have several variants (of cooperation - Interfax-AVN) now and they will be discussed," the minister said. He declined to elaborate on the variants.
According to Bezhuashvili, GUUAM's efficiency is directly connected to strengthening cooperation with NATO and other Euro- Atlantic structures, for which the organization is potentially ready.
"I have always viewed GUUAM as an organization that has potential connected to Euro-Atlantic cooperation," he said.