Russia to build on Helsinki act by proposing Euro-Atlantic security treaty

As one of Russia’s neighbours and closest strategic partners, Finland has become the first nation to be handed a Russian draft of a new energy agreement, which Medvedev hoped can replace the faltering European Energy Charter. The draft is to be forwarded to all other neighbours and all members of the G-20 and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Speaking at Helsinki University Monday, the Russian President reiterated his initiative for a summit on a Euro-Atlantic security treaty. He said this treaty should replace the imperfect arrangements that are and create an undivided security area encompassing the hemispheric band from Vancouver to Vladivostok. The basic principles in the treaty are compliance with international law, respect of sovereignty, control of arsenals, renunciation of force and resolution of conflicts through peaceful talks.

His initiative comes ahead of the 35th anniversary next year of the Helsinki Final Act:

--- The proposed treaty could be designated as ‘Helsinki-Plus’. Indeed, it adapts the Helsinki principles to a new situation in which there are lots of new nations around and the clash of ideologies is a thing of the past.

European security must be one and equal for all, without fragmentation on it. The proposed treaty must be agreed by all Euro-Atlantic nations together with the European Union, the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States and the post-Soviet Collective Security Treaty organization.

Russia is already reducing its military hardware and manpower in the Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad. It expects the West to reciprocate by canceling at least some of the planned NATO deployments near Russian territory.