Kazakhstan, Astana, Dec. 1 / Trend A.Maratov /
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev noted the importance of establishing common principles to resolve conflicts at the OSCE summit in Astana today.
"Perhaps, the most important thing is the development of common principles for resolving conflicts," Medvedev said. "These principles must apply to all crisis situations - and not only select cases."
Medvedev clarified that these principles are the non-use of force, agreements reached by the conflicting parties themselves, respect for negotiated agreements and peacekeeping formats, and the guarantee of civil rights in conflict zones.
"I repeat that such issues should be resolved absolutely peacefully," he said. "The use of military force, as the Georgian leadership attempted against South Ossetia in August 2008, is totally unacceptable."
Military actions were launched in the unrecognized republic of South Ossetia in August 2008. Georgian troops entered Tskhinvali, with Russian troops later occupying the city. The Russian armed forces then drove the Georgian military back into Georgia proper. Russia recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on Aug. 26 and established diplomatic ties with the de facto states on Sept. 9, 2008.
As co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia is also involved in the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Medvedev has repeatedly initiated meetings between the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents.
Medvedev noted that the OSCE, as an organization providing security in the region, is losing its potential. It is necessary to change the shape and style of the organization's management.
"Russia has consistently advocated breathing new life into the Helsinki Principles, and bringing them into practice," he said. "To this end, the OSCE, as well as the style and form of its activities, should be modernized. Indeed the organization has started to lose its capacity."
A clear legal framework and universal rules are required for the organization, he said.
"The development of new commitments and instruments for their decisions has exhausted itself," he said. "A more clear legal framework and universal rules for the use of the organization's resources should be developed. Russia and its partners submitted a draft statute and proposals on streamlining the work of its structures. This is only way to improve the organization's relevance and seamlessly integrate it into the emerging global architecture."
According to the president, the OSCE may become a universal platform for negotiations among member countries of NATO, the EU, the CSTO and the CIS.
"I am confident that relying on a security platform based on cooperation, the OSCE can become a driving force in developing cooperation between NATO, the EU, Council of Europe, the CIS and the CSTO," he said. "All of the countries that enter these organizations are represented in the OSCE. In this sense, the OSCE remains a universal platform."
"Today, there are no ideological barriers, there is no military confrontation, so we can and must unite to tackle problems," he added.