Forty years ago on Aug. 1, leaders of 35 countries — the United States and other NATO members on side, the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries on the other, and neutral and non-aligned states — signed the Helsinki Final Act, or the Helsinki Declaration, which embodied the concept of comprehensive security in Europe.

Although it lacked the status of an international treaty, the declaration played a significant role in bridging the West and the communist bloc through deepened dialogue and paving the way for an end of the Cold War.

As the crisis over Ukraine continues, threatening the peace and order in Europe, it is all the more important for the parties involved — as well as other nations, for that matter — to give serious thought to the spirit and principles incorporated in the document and behave accordingly.

In this situation, the principles expressed in the Helsinki Accords such as sovereign equality, territorial integrity of states and peaceful settlement of disputes should be an important guide for all the parties involved in the Ukraine crisis.

More importantly they should learn from the perseverance the participants in the Helsinki conference exhibited in their attempt to reach mutually acceptable conclusions through dialogue. They should not hesitate to take bold and immediate action that will lead to ending the crisis.

bbabo.Net