The contradictions between Germany and Russia within the OSCE (1990 s)

At the stage ofthe existence of the bipolar system the states parties of CSCE effectively resolve controversial issues in three areas: military-political,economic and humanitarian. However, the capacity of the CSCE at the time failed to realize the full. The collapse of the Warsaw Pact andthe Soviet Union, also the subsequent strengthening of the position of NATO has led to a weakening of the CSCE (since 1995 OSCE). Thisis not conducive to the harmonization of the positions of Germany and Russia on European security policy. In contrast, there wasdisagreement between them. Occurred as the differential understanding of Bonn and Moscow place the OSCE in the management ofinternational relations on the continent. German and Russia sides differed in defining the priorities of the OSCE in the post-bipolar period.Germany preferred the course to follow in the footsteps of the Western powers to shift the focus of the OSCE in the direction ofhumanitarian issues. The OSCE has focused on problems encountered in the former socialist countries. However, Russia did not suit such adevelopment. Without rejecting the importance of the humanitarian problems, Moscow stressed the need to address international issues in acomplex. German and Russian diplomats have not found a consensus on the issue of geography pain points in the OSCE area. Official Bonnpaid particular attention to the human rights situation in the post-soviet space. Moscow believed that selective attention to one country whileignoring the problems in other states indicates the presence in the organization of the practice of double standards. The state authorities ofGermany came from the fact that the OSCE area should be used as a tool for the implementation of the German security interests. Specificdevelopments in this direction have been carried out within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany. According to its leader, K. Kinkel,the OSCE was designed to contribute to the consolidation of democratic institutions in Europe and in the prevention of regional conflicts.Kinkel marked the most problematic regions of the OSCE. Among them are the elements of the CIS, which Russia considered its sphere ofinfluence. It was about the Caucasus, Crimea and Central Asia. Germany has set cooperation with Russia through the OSCE in recognition ofits dependence on NATO's eastward expansion. In the future, the German policy of the OSCE with regard to Russia has undergonesignificant changes. Disintegration within the CIS objectively led to the formation of a power vacuums that in the interests of Germany.Cooperation with Russia within the OBSE Bonn was seen in the context of new foreign policy objectives, aiming to contribute to theestablishment of Western control over the situation in the former Soviet Republics

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