RIA Novosti, Russia
Feb 1, 2005
RUSSIA, OSCE SHOULD WORK OUT COMMON APPROACHES TO SETTLEMENT OF
REGIONAL AND LOCAL CONFLICTS
MOSCOW, February 1 (RIA Novosti) – Russia and the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) should work out common
approaches to settlement of local and regional conflicts, head of the
State Duma international committee Konstantin Kosachev said during
the meeting with OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign Minister
Dimitrij Rupel on Tuesday.
According to the Russian parliamentarian, unfortunately, “we often
face the use of double standards in the settlement of some conflicts
(Georgian-Abkhaz or Nagorny Karabakh)”. However, Mr. Kosachev is
convinced that this problem will be solved in the near future.
In his words, Russia is not interested in the OSCE weakening and loss
of its universal status. The OSCE “should find its unique place in
the system of European organizations to become maximally effective
and important.” He stressed. Undoubtedly, Russia supports the OSCE
reform aimed at the organization’s development into a key
pan-European structure.
Konstantin Kosachev believes that another important task is to work
out common criteria and standards of elections on the OSCE territory
with account for national and historic features of each country.