On August 1, 1975, in Helsinki, 35 countries (all European countries, except totalitarian Albania plus the Soviet Union, the United States and Canada) signed the Final Act of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the meaning of which, as I understand, is as follows: the “capitalist ” and “socialist” confronting camps admitted the World War II results and are not trying to change the world order and the borders between the countries. It was a beneficial compromise for both camps. In addition, there was the so-called “third basket”, the humanitarian issues, human rights, which included various freedoms: mobility, communication, information, culture and education.
With accepting these principles, the Soviet leadership was making some concessions, as these freedoms in our the then country were not secured; particularly, thousands of people were dreaming about leaving the Soviet, which was actually banned. The Helsinki Final Act also speaks about employment, education and medical service. I assume that these lines were added by “our people”, because “de jure” there was no unemployment in our country, and the medical service and education were free. “Allegedly,” because in the same period, to be admitted to some of the faculties of the Medical University and the Faculty of Law of the State University, it required a bribe of 40 thousand rubles. True, approximately half of the university students were admitted to such faculties by a bribe. Not to speak about the “free” medical services.
The West was constantly scolding the Soviet for not respecting some kind of freedoms. And the Soviet was speaking of its true and fictitious advantages. But pay attention, after 1990, the superstates: the United States and the USSR’s successor Russia, have repeatedly breached the agreements of the first two “baskets” that refer to the original security, and have repeatedly reshaped and continue reshaping the map of Europe. If a group of concepts does not come to life, then why should the rest operate?
I think the time has come to consider the “new Helsinki Final Act”, which should document some status. It’s like a dollar-dram rate; the number is not so important, which at some point will be recorded, as its stability and invariability. Today, the “cold war”-like phenomena in global economy are just ridiculous. Today, Russia cannot but be a part of the global economy.
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As for the “third basket”, the emphasis, here, should also be changed: the freedoms of mobility, communication and expression are, of course, important. But the human rights to live in dignity and electing its own government are more important. It’s here that we have nothing to boast about.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
