Russia says OSCE is mired in a "serious crisis" (1st Lead)

Nov 30, 2007, 11:27 GMT

Madrid - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday expressed pessimism over the state of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), saying an annual meeting which was concluding in Madrid had failed to 'overcome a serious crisis.'

The human rights and security body had been unable to follow the example of other international organizations in adopting reforms and in adapting to new times, Lavrov said during the meeting which brought together more than 40 foreign ministers from 56 OSCE countries.

There had been no response to Russian proposals to reform the OSCE, which some countries or groups of countries were using for their own benefit, Lavrov said, without naming the United States or other Western countries.

'Some partners have not moved one millimetre,' the minister charged, complaining that 'such talks have no meaning.'

The OSCE still had no charter clarifying questions such as the role of electoral observers and field missions, Lavrov observed.

The minister denied accusations that Russia was trying to weaken the OSCE's election monitoring body ODIHR, which is boycotting the Russian parliamentary elections on Sunday.

The West suspects Russia of having barred OSCE observers from the elections with bureaucratic obstacles, but Lavrov said Russia wanted to boost the ODIHR mandate which had been 'watered down.'

Lavrov backed Kazakhstan's bid to chair the OSCE, saying Moscow would have preferred Astana to take over already in 2009, instead of doing so only after Greece in 2010, as has been proposed by the Spanish OSCE presidency.

The US and several other countries have frowned on the Kazakh bid because of doubts over the country's democratic credentials. The next country to chair the OSCE will be Finland, which is taking over from Spain on January 1.

The two-day meeting has been overshadowed by disputes between Moscow and Washington, which have accused each other of weakening the OSCE.

Russia accuses the West of using the OSCE to promote its political interests by focusing on human rights and democracy issues, while the US suspects Russia of trying to undermine democracy within the OSCE.

No progress was reported on the possible extension of the OSCE mandate in Kosovo, which Russia opposes if the province declares independence unilaterally from Serbia, or on Russia's plans to scrap the 1990 Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) arms control treaty.

Lavrov said on Thursday that a 'fragmentation' was threatening Europe whose security architecture could collapse.

Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gutch also expressed 'concern' over the state of the OSCE on Friday, saying that a continuing lack of agreement 'has led to an erosion of our achievements.'

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said late Thursday that it might be difficult for the OSCE to approve a joint declaration, though the Spanish presidency would issue one of its own.

Decisions by the OSCE require unanimity, and its members have not issued a joint political declaration since 2002.