. The Helsinki Agreements: a Lesson From the General European Process

The article examines the main reasons for the signing of the Helsinki Final Act by actors of the global and European international system. The description of individual provisions of the document itself is provided. As a result of the study, it was proved that the Helsinki Agreement became a compromise that consolidated the existing status quo in Europe and defined the framework for the peaceful regulation of relations between the West and the East. The key principles of European peace and security were fixed by the document for many years. The agreement significantly eased the inter-bloc tension without dividing the sides of the process into "losers" and "winners". Individual ideas of Helsinki have not lost their relevance and still contain the potential to support the European security system. The main thing is non-interference in internal affairs and a balance of interests. The formation of the international organization – CSCE/OSCE - was a significant legacy of Helsinki. It opened up the opportunity for Europeans to pursue policies for the creation of a united, peaceful, democratic and prosperous Europe. At the same time, it is difficult to ignore the fact that the modern OSCE in many parameters of its activity is fundamentally different from the initial, conceived option. Today's polemics within the organization are increasingly reminiscent of the inefficient discussions of the former League of Nations. In general, little has been accomplished from the large-scale plans, for which everything started back in the 60s and 70s of the last century. However, a topic that initially seemed secondary to many came to the fore, the issue of observing human rights ("the third basket"). The European practice of interstate relations has demonstrated that the humanitarian part of the Helsinki Agreements remains relevant even today, especially in post-Soviet countries, where, by and large, little has changed since the time of the USSR in terms of the protection of human rights. The OSCE has not become and is unlikely to become the main factor in the formation of a comprehensive system of European security, covering all aspects - from military to humanitarian. Today, pettiness prevails in the organization, which does not correspond to the original intentions of its founders. In addition, the lack of a mechanism to guarantee compliance with the principles of the OSCE can finally "bury" the organization