Ahtisaari: Georgia war hurt credibility of Russian security initiatives

Nobel Peace Prize winner wants Europe to guide next US administration back to its own values

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The actions of the Russian military in Georgia have eroded the credibility of Russian foreign policy initiatives, said former President Martti Ahtisaari on Monday. However, Ahtisaari, who won this year’s Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts at mediating in international conflicts, says that he is basically optimistic about the development of the international situation, even in the wake of the war in Georgia and the international financial crisis.
      “It was certainly a mistake for the Russians to act like that. It eroded the foundation of all of their initiatives for a new security system”, Ahtisaari said on Monday at the office of the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) organisation. He has been busy giving interviews there ever since Friday’s announcement of the peace prize.
     
Conspicuously absent from messages of congratulation has been any reaction from Russia. On Friday, unofficial comments were critical.
      Ahtisaari has been criticised in Russia especially for the Kosovo independence plan. In the UN Security Council Russia helped appoint Ahtisaari to come up with a plan for Kosovo, but it never approved the outcome.
     In spite of the apparent deliberate silence of Russia, and in spite of his own criticism of that country, Ahtisaari emphasised the importance of cooperation between Europe and Russia.
     
“Our task is to persuade Russia to cooperate, and to understand that such action does not bring an increase in appreciation”, he said.
     Ahtisaari feels that instead of confrontation, both Russia and the United States should concentrate on getting their own affairs in order.
     In his view, Europe has a mission with respect to the United States.
      “When there is a change in power, it is the mission of Europe to help the new administration get back to its own values.”
     
As a fresh Nobel Peace Prize winner, Ahtisaari said that he is looking at the world “very calmly”. The optimism extended to Kosovo as well. He said that he trusts that Russia has “sensible young people”.
     Ahtisaari feels that when the current financial crisis is over, the world will need “capitalism with a human face”, in contrast to the notion of “socialism with a human face” from a few decades ago.
     “Now its good that we have moved on from these mistakes to a corrective phase, but things cannot continue as before.”
     Ahtisaari also called for moderation in the massive salaries of corporate executives.
     
After the excitement on Friday, Ahtisaari’s schedule is set to proceed along familiar lines. On Tuesday he will be in Jordan, on Wednesday in London, and then in Luxembourg. The topics will nevertheless be linked more with the development of good governance than with any actual peace negotiations.
     Ahtisaari’s help has been sought for a number of conflicts, including the one between Turkey and the Kurds, the civil war in Sri Lanka, and the decades-long crisis in Western Sahara.
     “The answer may be that now there is nothing to be done, no matter how hard I try”, Ahtisaari says.
     Nevertheless, he still staunchly believes in the power of negotiation. He says that talks should even be held with Afghanistan’s Taleban movement, and certainly with the Palestinian Hamas organisation. But what about Osama bin-Laden?
     “Somebody should have a way to contact him. Someone always has”, says Martti Ahtisaari.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Ahtisaari reiterates support for Finnish NATO membership (13.10.2008)
  Martti Ahtisaari wins 2008 Nobel Peace Prize (10.10.2008)

Helsingin Sanomat