USA Starts Cooperating with Former USSR States

The cooperation has been caused with Moscow's growing influence

A regular summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has started working in Moscow today. As it is well known, a lot of experts think that the cooperation within the framework of the organization, as well as within the Collective Security Treaty, testifies to Russia's aspiration to play a more active role on the post-Soviet space.

In fact, the organization was established to neutralize the USA's growing influence in Central Asia and in the Caucasus. Legitimate Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Collective Security Treaty Organization are represented as great success that is good for Russia's interests. This is true, of course. However, it does not mean that Washington will sit on its hands, watching its influence going up in smoke.

Nothing has been mentioned lately about another organization of former USSR states - GUUAM (incorporates Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Moldavia). However, the organization was meant to be a counterbalance to Russia, although GUUAM did not manage to succeed there. Yet, the USA has paid a certain attention to the organization, but never provided any financial help to it. The GUUAM members are not rich countries of the former USSR, and this aspect has always been actual. The republic of Uzbekistan was disappointed with its membership in GUUAM and decided to pull out from the organization last year. However, it seems that Uzbek President Islam Karimov made up his mind to wait a while. It is not excluded that Western diplomats persuaded Mr. Karimov not to hurry with his decision to leave.

This way or other, but Washington realizes Moscow's growing activity, so the American administration decided to strengthen the counterbalance to the "Moscow influence." Money is the best way to strengthen everything, the humanity has not yet concocted anything better. The US administration decided to teach GUUAM the right way of living and to provide a financial help to the organization too.

RIA Novosti news agency reported that the American administration was ready to render a financial help to fund preparatory works to set up a "virtual center" of informational exchange between law-enforcement structures of the USA and GUUAM members. This was officially informed by the press service of the US State Department. According to this information, the informational exchange includes issues of anti-terrorism struggle, drug trafficking, other dangerous crimes, as well as issues of border defense, customs and foreign trade issues. As it is supposed, the center will be established as the international information processing system with the participation of the USA and GUUAM states.

The documents for the implementation of this and several other joint programs will be submitted to GUUAM presidents during their forthcoming summit in Ukraine. The summit is to take place in the resort city of Yalta on July 3-4. There are no doubts that the fact of USA's active cooperation with GUUAM countries is an attempt to strengthen the counterbalance to the Collective Security Treaty Organization. One shall assume that Washington will not give up making such attempts in the future; the essence and forms of this cooperation is a lot more important, though.

In fact, it is only the USA that can save GUUAM from falling apart. Russia does not need this organization – there is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Collective Security Treaty Organization. Furthermore, it seems that GUUAM leaders do not know, how they should develop the cooperation within the framework of the organization without an adequate financial basis. Holding summits in Ukraine is wonderful, of course, but it goes without saying that it is very hard to strengthen the organization in this way. A big strong hand of a foreign friend comes in handy.

It is not excluded that the future administration of GUUAM countries will have to make a choice - either they hope for the American help to bring the organization back to life, or join the SCO or the Collective Security Treaty Organization. However, it does not mean that the American help will save GUUAM's life. At the end of the day, providing financial help to a weak organization is not a very perspective thing to do.