A Common European Security Space?

At time when it is increasingly necessary for Russia to act as a global player, Moscow's self-assertive foreign policy isolates it from the international community. Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev has proposed holding a conference on the creation of a new European security treaty that would integrate Russia into the European security space. This proposal has been met with doubt in the West. Carnegie Europe convened a panel of experts to provide their anaylsis of the proposal, and of the future of Europe-U.S.-Russia relations.

At a public debate, Bobo Lo, Director of the Russia and China Programmes at the Centre for European Reform; H.E. Zoltan Martinusz, Hungarian Ambassador to NATO; and Dmitri Trenin, Director of the Carnegie Moscow Centre, discussed what a common European security space would look like, and how it could be created. Fabrice Pothier, Director of Carnegie Europe chaired the event.

Highlights Include…

• Dmitri Trenin pointed out that creating a common European security space that includes Russia is as important as the creation of NATO and the EU. The leaders of today will be judged tomorrow on how well they can accomplish this task.
   
• Bobo Lo suggested that the United States and Europe should world together to alter the way Russia perceives NATO. Russia views the organization as an instrument of the United States rather than as a transatlantic alliance, leading Russia to fear U.S. dominance in the European security space.
   
• The panel agreed that a new treaty should be one piece in a broader effort to create a common European security space. Dmitri Trenin explained that all parties must work together where interests meet (e.g. Afghanistan) and act on good faith in areas of contention (e.g. NATO expansion).