... concerns and meets growing resentment. It has become a fashion in Moscow to make a case for a new isolationism and Russia’s disengagement from many international agreements, regimes and institutions.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is no exception. In Russia, an increasing number of statements can be heard about OSCE allegedly failing to meet Russia’s expectations, interests and proposals. Sometimes such statements lead to conclusions that the OSCE is hopeless, that its time is over and that Moscow ...
... non-interference and peaceful settlement of disputes. In 1999, the OSCE member states from NATO countries launched air strikes on another OSCE member state, Yugoslavia. NATO countries conducted a number of interventions in the Greater Middle East, including Iraq, Libya, and Syria. Russia used the Georgia pacification operation to assert its solution to the issues of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in response ... ... the Cold War, namely reunification with Crimea, the emergence of new quasi- state entities, and a bloody civil war in central Europe. Many new states turned out to be much more fragile and vulnerable than it seemed. It was revealed that they find it difficult ...
... of the powers delegated to the presiding country, Secretary General, the ODIHR and other OSCE structures, have been torpedoed on a regular basis.
Member states of NATO and the EU declined to ratify the revised Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), the current version of which, for obvious reasons, had lost relevance and touch with reality.
Over the course of time, Russia at some point started to lose interest in the OSCE and together with a group of other states began to issue declarations calling for making the OSCE activity balanced, unselective and non-discriminatory, to redirect it back to addressing common problems of the continent and common challenges. Things ...
... remain the only viable solution to the crisis in Ukraine. If Minsk II fails, there will be no Minsk III
The new European security system needs to be Russia-inclusive. A number of Russian participants expressed concerns about the effectiveness of the OSCE and its ability to contribute to European security
Russia and the EU should come up with a positive agenda that addresses the issues of concern to both actors
Russia and Germany in a changing world order
The participants agreed that the current deterioration of Russian-German and Russian-West relations ...
... Strengthening the OSCE” that took place in Moscow on Sept. 25
.
Russia Direct: What lessons should the OSCE and the world learn from the Ukrainian crisis?
Andrey Kortunov:
It seems to me that the Ukrainian crisis has revealed the extreme weakness of European security institutions, including the Russia-NATO Council and other NATO and EU agencies. Of course, in comparison with these organizations, the OSCE did pretty well in Ukraine regardless of its flaws.
Yes, it was not so fast. Yes, it came too late. Yes, it did little. Yes, it might not be effective enough. Yet, finally, the OSCE started working and now the world pins its hopes primarily on this ...
RIAC Report #16
The dramatic developments in Ukraine in 2014 have once again demonstrated the relevance of the cooperative crisis management tools and mechanisms of the OSCE.
Issues of strengthening and reforming the OSCE are once again part of the European agenda.
The 40th anniversary of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe represents an important milestone in the development of the organization and provides an occasion for a frank discussion about the problems ...
On September 25, 2014, Russian International Affairs Council and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly held the international seminar "Helsinki +40 Process: Prospects for Strengthening the OSCE" with participation of the OSCE PA representatives, top European politicians and civil society leaders, Russian parliamentarians and key experts.
The event was opened by the project co-chair
Joao Soares
(MP, Portugal) and RIAC President
Igor Ivanov
.
The speakers' list at the plenary session included OSCE PA President
Ilkka Kanerva
; OSCE PA Secretary ...
Interview with Andrei Zagorski
In the run-up to the international seminar “Helsinki +40: Prospects for strengthening the OSCE”, which will be held by the Russian International Affairs Council, we talked to Professor
Andrei Zagorski
of MGIMO University, head of department at the ... ... at this moment? Is the organisation capable of playing the role of the main instrument for preventing and resolving crises in Europe?
The choice of instruments at the OSCE’s disposal for responding to crisis situations in Europe is quite broad. It’s ...
Article by Javier Ruperez, President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (1996-1998)
Right After the War
No Peace Treaty was signed to certify an end to World War II in Europe and validate the territorial changes it caused on the continent. Hasty military arrangements taken by the victorious powers against the defeated axis – Germany and its allies in the conflict - soon became the only point of reference: the ...
