Упрощенная HTML-версия
Электронное приложение к журналу «
Международная жизнь
»
Author : I. Shcherbak
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, leading research associate, Institute for International
Studies, Moscow Institute (University) of International Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the
Russian Federation, Candidate of Science (History)
THE RECENT EVENTS in Ukraine and the OSCE's con-
structive role in settling the crisis in the country's southeast (its
active involvement under Swiss chairmanship in drafting and
realizing the Geneva and Minsk Agreements, dispatch of OSCE
observer mission charged with ceasefire and human rights mon-
itoring) confirmed its relevance as an instrument of interna-
tional crisis diplomacy indispensable when it comes to dealing
with the military and political aspects of the Ukrainian crisis.
This is a paradox: for the first time in postwar history the anti-
crisis potential of OSCE as a universal regional organization
was used to deal with the political repercussions of a vast crisis
triggered by a conflict of interests launched by the decision of the EU and Ukraine to
speed up Ukraine's trade and economic association with the EU in disregard of the inter-
ests of Russia and its partners in the Customs Union.
The OSCE should widen its traditional anti-crisis agenda to cope with the new challenges
created by the policy and actions of trade-economic associations. Its considerable potential
of "preventive diplomacy" may help it address and resolve the problems and in this way
harmonize the integration processes underway in Europe and also in the Europe-Asia con-
text.
THE OSCE was set up as a universal platform to ensure cooperation between the East
and the West and a dialogue on security, arms control, confidence building in the military
sphere, and conflict prevention and settlement as well as identify cooperation trends in
the economic, human rights and humanitarian spheres. This was the main mission of the
OSCE in a nutshell.
The OSCE structure is maximally adjusted to these priorities: it is mobile and is "lighter"
than the structures of the regional "heavyweights" (the EU and NATO). It is maximally
geared at the key issues and various dimensions of European stability and security.
The disastrously deep political crisis in Ukraine caused, among other things, by political
blunders of those who headed the country at that time and were responsible for the strate-
gic decisions on the association with the European Union exacerbated the negative impacts
The OSCE and Its Anti-Crisis Mechanisms in West-East Integra-
tion Processes