OSCE experiencing crisis because of attempts to impose its standards on others - Lavrov

"We are talking about the future of the pan-European organization, the OSCE, disagreements in which are growing because of attempts to impose its own standards on others and turn it into a forum for polemics and confrontation, which can only worsen its systemic crisis," Lavrov said at the 49th Munich Security Conference on Saturday.

"There is a need for consolidating projects that would cement the European space and help reach a consensus on fundamental security issues," he said.

"I would hope that it is possible by 2015 to work out a truly common agenda reflecting not exchange of criticism but our common determination to focus on resolving common strategic issues through practically implementing the principle of indivisibility of security," Lavrov said.

He said the chance for this still exists. Lavrov pointed out that the participants in a ministerial OSCE meeting in Dublin last December decided to launch the Helsinki +40 process.

Russia seeks support for democratic reform without external rule imposition

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has urged the world community to reach agreement on shoring up democratic reforms in different countries without imposing external rules on these countries.

When addressing the ongoing international conference on security in Munich, he said that the Euro-Atlantic nations boast quite a few unifiers with regard to ultimate goals and efforts to settle various crises, according to the Voice of Russia correspondent.

All these nations want stability to rule supreme in the Near and Middle East, and North of Africa; they want the regional nations to advance towards democracy, as well as to have human rights guaranteed there.

Lavrov, besides, called for an agreement to abstain from external interference, especially an interference involving the use of force, without a UN Security Council mandate, as well as to abstain from slapping unilateral sanctions arbitrarily.

Munich Security Conference kicks off in Munich today

The Munich Conference on Security Policy that kicks off in Munich later today will focus on ways to strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

According to the Voice of Russia correspondents, the participants will take up Iran’s nuclear programme, the situation around North Korea’s preparations for an underground nuclear test, as well as the situation in Syria and Mali.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will address the conference to set forth Moscow’s stance on international security problems, including the ways to settle the Middle East and North Africa crises.

Lavrov has been scheduled to meet the US Vice President Joseph Biden and the UN and Arab Leaguer special envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi.

Russia’s Lavrov to attend 2013 Munich Security Conference

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will take part in the 49th Security Conference in Munich, ministry’s spokesman Alexander Lukashevich has said.

Mr. Lukashevich pointed out it’s become traditional for the Russian foreign chief to visit the Munich security forum.

This year, he is going to advocate the idea of an integral security zone within the Euro-Atlantic space. The minister is also planning to hold several bilateral talks.

The security panel will run from 1-3 February in the capital of Bavaria in southern Germany.

Voice of Russia, TASS