Question: Please comment on the responses of NATO and the EU on the understanding and implementation in practice of the principle of indivisibility of security.
Answer: On February 10, NATO Secretary General J.Stoltenberg and the head of the European Diplomacy Zh .Borrel was sent what they present as a response to the message of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov dated January 28 this year on the implementation of the principle of equal and indivisible security by Western countries in practice. There is no substantive reaction to the directly posed question in the received “documents”. Instead, we are invited to engage in a dialogue on strengthening security.
Recall that Sergey Lavrov’s message was addressed to the foreign ministers of 37 European and North American states. And it was emphasized in it that we expect a detailed response in a national capacity.
Instead, they write to us Y.Stoltenberg and J.Borrel, which we did not address. Such a step cannot be characterized otherwise than as a manifestation of diplomatic impoliteness and disrespect for our request. The OSCE and Russia-NATO documents, which fix the principle of indivisibility of security, are signed by the heads of State and Government of the respective countries. In general, States participate in a national capacity, and it is in this capacity that they have pledged not to strengthen their security at the expense of the security of others.
Therefore, we cannot accept a “collective” response resembling a “mutual guarantee”. We are waiting for a detailed reaction to the question posed by us from each addressee. Evading the answer means that the West does not want to recognize the commitments made by the OSCE and Russia-NATO and is trying to take care of its security at our expense.
The 1999 Charter of European Security adopted at the OSCE Summit and the 2010 Astana Declaration clearly and unambiguously state that “no State, group of States or organization can be given primary responsibility for maintaining peace and stability in the OSCE region.” And NATO and the EU insist on their dominant role in ensuring security in the Euro-Atlantic. This approach is categorically unacceptable for us.
As well as the fact that we are, in fact, being offered a new round of discussions on the indivisibility of European security. This principle is enshrined in the fundamental documents of the OSCE and Russia-NATO, adopted at the highest level. There’s nothing to discuss here. As in the case of the Minsk “Package of Measures” on Ukraine, it is simply necessary to fulfill the relevant agreements unconditionally and in full. We will achieve this.
