Russia critical of OSCE “failure” in Georgia.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticised the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe on Friday for failing to heed warnings from Russia on escalating tension with Georgia. In the same connection he indirectly criticised the Finnish OSCE Chairmanship.
Lavrov spoke of “indirect filters”, through which information ends up only in the hands of some member states. Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb (Nat. Coalition Party) has repeatedly denied that any such filters have been in use, insisting that all information has been made available to all OSCE members.
On Thursday, the Russian Foreign Minister put forward a proposal from President Dmitri Medvedev for new European security arrangements. The proposal was met with scepticism.
Lavrov also took the matter up in his speech at the meting on Friday.
Lavrov said that European security arrangements are seen to be as unchanging as the gold standard used to be, even though they do not seem to succeed in preventing violence. As examples he mentioned the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999 over the Kosovo situation, and the situation in Georgia.
Lavrov reiterated Russia’s aim to make the new security arrangements legally binding.
Daniel Fried, the US Undersecretary of State for European Affairs, said at a press conference on Friday that the USA does not see a need to replace the current arrangements, such as the OSCE, the EU, and NATO with some new arrangement, because the Americans feel that the present organisations work well.
However, Fried emphasised that open discussion is needed on European security. He also emphasised that sustainable security is based on OSCE principles. such as human rights and respect for territorial inviolability.
He insisted that the United States understands that Russia wants security, but he said that this needs to be arranged on the basis of common values, respecting territorial integrity.
More on this subject:
 No joint declaration for OSCE meeting despite last-ditch efforts
COMMENTARY: Russia unites ranks of West
Helsingin Sanomat
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