The Helsinki Final Act Under the Burden of Time
Journal: Analytical papers of the Institute of Europe RAS
Year: 2025

The 1970s witnessed a phenomenon of détente and practical application of the principle of peaceful coexistence. The signing of the Helsinki Final Act 50 years ago was a highlight of the CSCE conference. Later other major documents followed including the Paris Charter in 1990. The author looks back at the historical circumstances, which enabled these events, assesses the significance of the Final Act and the Charter and undertakes their conceptual comparison. He analyses the documents’ inherent a