Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage met with the ambassadors of Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova (GUUAM) at the US State Department on 3 December to discuss multilateral projects on regional security and economic development.

The sides discussed multilateral projects enhancing regional security and encouraging economic development in the region.

?The Deputy Secretary underscored US interest in and endorsed the progress made on joint US-GUUAM projects in trade, transport, and law enforcement cooperation,? the US State Department?s release said.

He also stressed that these projects have a concrete impact on the economy and on the rule of law in the region.

The Deputy Secretary looked forward to a high-level US-GUUAM meeting next year to cement these projects and the future of this dynamic and important regional organization.