COMMENTARY: Russia unites ranks of West
|
|
By Kari Huhta
The description of discussions during the lunch of the foreign ministers in Helsinki on Thursday came from Western diplomatic sources, and so the story might be slightly different if it were told by Russia. Statements and stories reported by participants were nevertheless similar.
According to Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Stubb (Nat. Coalition Party), the annual lunch of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) was very exceptional this time, and this probably is the case.
For the first time since the war in Georgia, Russia got the chance to explain its security policy initiatives in company that is broad and at a politically high level.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told representatives of the other 55 countries that Russia wants a new, legally binding security arrangement, which would significantly alter the security situation in Europe.
After that, the other foreign ministers shot down Russia’s initiative. None of the representatives of the other 55 countries supported it.
Months of guesswork about a Russian proposal for a big European and North American summit could be forgotten for at least a couple of years.
Speeches that were made lent support to the very security system that Russia feels has been such a failure. Russia heard how hard security needs to be linked specifically with “soft security”, that is, democracy, human rights, and similar matters.
The Western countries were inspired to praise the OSCE, the EU, and NATO, all of which are often mercilessly censured in internal debate in the countries in question.
Nothing unites the West like Russia, when it tries to use an excessively clumsy wedge.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 5.12.2008
More on this subject:
 No joint declaration for OSCE meeting despite last-ditch efforts
Russia critical of OSCE “failure” in Georgia.
KARI HUHTA / Helsingin Sanomat
kari.huhta@hs.fi
|
|
