Russia’s proposal a wake-up call to revamp security plan – OSCE head

The new pan-European security treaty proposed by President Dmitry Medvedev has given European countries hope of a “fresh approach” to security, says OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut.

­"The proposal had one great merit,” said de Brichambaut. “It was sort of a wake-up call, [which showed] that not everybody was happy within the family of greater Europe with the current arrangements regarding security. A fresh look, a fresh approach had to be given to those issues. This clearly energized the discussions in the OSCE.”The fact that all 56 members of the trans-Atlantic security group are meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan on December 1-2 to discuss common issues and aims, as well as the proposed treaty, shows that they care about improving the atmosphere, de Brichambaut said. “They care about giving a new thrust, a new impetus, a fresh ambition to the OSCE, where they are together on an equal footing,” he said.