Stubb wants to get OSCE to agree on political declaration

Finnish Foreign Minister sees OSCE renaissance

Alexander Stubb

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Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb (Nat. Coalition Party) feels that the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is living a renaissance. Consequently, he expects record participation in the December foreign ministers’ meeting in Helsinki.
      “Normally 30 out of the 56 foreign ministers take part in the annual meeting. Now there are 40 on the list”, Stubb said in London on Thursday. Attending the meeting will be the US Secretary of State and the British Foreign Secretary, who have not attended an OSCE meeting in years.
      Finland hopes to get the countries to agree to a joint political declaration, which would pave the way for reform of the organisation, and for a new security architecture for Europe.
     
“We want a political declaration, something which was last achieved in the OSCE six years ago. Each year we have tried but failed.”, Stubb said in London, where he met with his colleague David Miliband.
      In addition to reform of the OSCE, the agenda of the meeting includes the conflicts in the Caucasus, and the new security pact proposed by Russia.
     
Stubb gave a lecture at his former school, the London School of Economics, on Thursday. Stubb said that the addresss was a “second diagnosis” of the situation in the world after the war in Georgia.
      He gave the “first diagnosis” in August at a meeting of Finnish ambassadors in Turku, where he said that the date that the war started (080808) was a turning point in world politics.
      Stubb sees no reason to change his basic analysis, even though relations between Russia and the West have warmed considerably since the weeks that immediately followed the war in Georgia.
      As Stubb sees it, the political turning point was followed by an economic turning point (080908) when the chaos on the financial markets began.
      “The financial crisis was a wake-up call to the international community. It could in fact be a blessing in disguise. If anyone needed convincing of the interdependence of the world community, they got it,” Stubb said.
     
In his lecture, Stubb also called for reform in international institutions. He proposed, for instance, that the UN might be changed into an organisation that could be called the United Continents, where the players that convene to solve problems would include the EU, North America, and the African Union, for instance.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Vanhanen and Stubb criticise Russian military action in Georgia (26.8.2008)
  Stubb voices optimism over Georgia deal (12.8.20008)
  Finnish and French foreign ministers hold talks with Georgian President (11.8.2008)
  NEWS ANALYSIS: Collateral damage from Finnish OSCE Chairmanship (2.6.2008)
  OSCE Chairmanship keeps Finland busy to very end (1.11.2008)

Links:
  Foreign Ministry website: Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland Alexander Stubb

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