Medvedev sends European security pact draft to foreign leaders

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has sent foreign leaders and international organizations a draft for a new treaty on European security. It allows signatory states to provide military assistance to each other.

The draft that has been sent to heads of states and chief executives of NATO, the EU and other major international organizations stipulates that signatory sides will follow the principle of “indivisible, equal and undiminished security.”

It suggests that parties do not undertake, support or participate in actions that can jeopardize the security of another party to the treaty. The sides also agree not to allow the use of its territory with the purpose of attacking their partners.

“If everybody supported the Medvedev proposal, the world would become safer, because what is really proposed is a new model of regional security based on legally binding norms,” told RT Tatyana Yuryeva from Moscow State University of International Relations.

The draft suggests that every party to the agreement is entitled to consider any attack on another party in a treaty as attack against itself.

“In exercising its right of self-defense under Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, it shall be entitled to render the attacked Party, subject to its consent, the necessary assistance, including the military one, until the UN Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security,” the draft says.

It also stipulated that the treaty should be open for signature by all states and international organizations of the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian space, including the European Union, NATO, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Collective Security Treaty Organization and also the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Dmitry Medvedev noted earlier on Friday that the EU reform will have no effect on the Russian proposal. “Our initiative remains topical,” he said.

The president added that the Russian side is “ready to discuss different editions of this draft and to listen to the proposals of our partners.”

He first came up with the initiative to work out the treaty back on June 5, 2008, proposing that the principle of indivisible security be legally sealed in international law.