Following the end of World War II, between 1946 and 1991, the United States
(US), the Soviet Union (USSR), and their respective allies were locked in a
long, tense conflict, known as the Cold War. Although the parties were
technically at peace, the period was characterized by an aggressive arms race,
proxy wars, and ideological bids for world dominance.
A
positive development, which was without precedent in world history, was the
flourishing of multilateral institutions following the end of the war, such as
the United Nations, the Bretton Woods Institutions, and the Council of Europe.
These resulted in a cautious approach based on taking decisions only with the
support of majorities, although and in the case of the United Nations Permanent
Members of the Security Council were also given the right to veto such decisions.
Gradually,
the spirit of cooperation and trust in the 1970s led to the formation of the
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which adopts all
decisions by consensus among all participating states. Such an approach is a
clear definition of the prevalent trust of that era, in the ability of
different parties to put aside unilateral agendas and to address common
security issues through multilateral approaches.
The
Soviet Union exploded its first atomic warhead in 1949, thus ending the
American monopoly on the atomic bomb, a development which would shape international
relations for decades to come. This resulted in complete dominance of global
politics by the two nuclear powers and gave rise to a bi-polar world order
whereby most of the other countries formed strategic alliances with either of
the powers, better known as North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the
Warsaw Pact respectively.
The possession
of nuclear weapons ensured that a large-scale war between the two parties was
not likely to break out due to the self-explanatory concept of Mutually
Assured Destruction (MAD). However, this period was characterized by repetitive
instances of confrontation through foreign intervention by the nuclear powers
in fragile states as they sought to install governments which sympathized with
their ideology.
While
some hailed the possession of nuclear arms as a guarantor of peace and a
stabilizer of the balance of power, nonetheless, the Cold-War era posed a
serious threat to humanity. Even if direct confrontation was avoided, geo-strategic
concerns meant that hostilities could easily escalate to a point of no return. A
mistake could be disastrous on an immense scale. The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis,
the highest and most dangerous point of tension between the two sides, portrayed
the fragility of the situation. It showed how provocation, miscalculations and miscommunication
could easily lead to nuclear war.
The 1989 Malta Summit
By
the late 1980s, the situation had started to change due to a multitude of
Factors. The transfer of Soviet power to Mikhail Gorbachev was significant as
he opted for a policy of détente (the relaxation of strained relations) with
the United States. He sought to reform Communism and introduced the concepts of
"glasnost" (openness) and "perestroika" (change). The aims
of such manoeuvres remain debated to this day. Simultaneously, Communist
governments in Eastern Europe were collapsing, Hungary had just opened its
border with the West, and the infamous Berlin Wall collapsed in November 1989.
Between
2-3 December 1989, United States’ President, George Bush, and the Soviet Union Leader,
Mikhail Gorbachev, had scheduled the Malta Summit which is now considered by
some historians as the most important meeting between the USA and USSR since
the Yalta Conference of 1945, when Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston
Churchill and Joseph Stalin met to divide spheres of influence after the end
of World
War Two.
Despite the fact that
during the Cold War, the limelight was focused on the two main blocs led by US
and the USSR, it is crucial not to overlook the input of neutral countries
towards the creation of a more peaceful world. The 1989 Malta Summit is a
testament of Malta’s resolute determination through the years to strive for
peace, security and multilateralism.
Achievements
The
1989 Malta Summit heralded a new era of international relations and
significantly reduced the immediate nuclear threat posed by the Cold-War on
mankind. The US and USSR leaders declared a planned reduction in troops within
Europe and that a reduction in weaponry would be discussed at a meeting
scheduled for June 1990. The desire to sign an agreement on strategic nuclear
arms reduction and to move towards a chemical weapons treaty were signalled by
the two parties.
The
two sides had also come to realize that a new multipolar world was evolving, with
an integrated Europe, a strong Japan and China, while India too was becoming
more dynamic. In this regard, patterns of cooperation would be necessary in
order to take account of new realities. It was time for the USSR and the US to
abandon the image of enemies.
However, although the end of the Cold War brought about an era of globalisation
together with a renewed hope in peaceful and joint progress, regrettably the
positive spirit which characterised the post-Cold War era did not have a
long-lasting effect. Nowadays, we once
again find ourselves in an environment characterised by division and lack of
trust. This is evident in the unilateral actions adopted by states and in the
lack of trust in finding joint solutions through multilateral organisations.
Despite the continued prevalence of globalisation, it is clear that states have
still not fully grasped the notion that in a globalised world, transnational
issues can only be solved through joint multilateral action. The 1989 Malta
Summit is a timely reminder about the ability of states to rise to the occasion
and to find the necessary will power to stive for a better world.
The Choice of Malta
The choice of venue was highly symbolic. The Maltese Islands are strategically located at the geographic centre of the Mediterranean Sea, where East meets West and North meets South. This was significant in
the context of political and ideological divisions between the capitalist West
and the Communist East.
Furthermore, the choice of Malta was ideal due to the country’s Neutrality
stance. Malta declared its neutrality from the two super-powers in 1980,
following the departure of British forces from the islands. At the time, Neutrality
was entrenched in the Constitution of Malta, which provided as follows,
"Malta is a neutral state actively pursuing peace, security and social
progress among all nations by adhering to a policy of non-alignment and
refusing to participate in any military alliance.
The
endeavour was also in line with Malta’s views about the world, as the islands
adopted a policy openly advocating against the possession of nuclear weapons.
Only one year before the Summit, Malta had refused entry to a Royal Navy ship
which was paying the islands a visit, citing that it would violate Malta’s
neutrality clause and non-nuclear policy as it could not be confirmed, or
otherwise, whether the vessel contained nuclear weapons.
Gregory Pototsky
Gregory Pototsky (1954) is an international contemporary
prolific Russian sculptor. His work
combines masterfully the traditions of Russian academic art with classical
French Impressionism and XX Century Modernism.
His artistic character is determined by his admiration for expressive
modelling and texture intensification to the point of quasi abstractionist
vision.
Pototsky graduated from the State Institute of the Arts in
Odessa (Faculty of Sculpture) in 1977 and from the Kishinev State University
(Historical Faculty) in 1986. He is an
Honorary Academician of the Academy of Arts of Russia, Associate Member of the
International Academy of Culture and Art, and Member of the International Union
of Artists of UNESCO.
Pototsky is also known for his bronze busts and reliefs which
range from important literary personalities like Aleksander Pushkin, to
inspiring personalities like Blessed Mother Theresa as well as designers and
actors like Pierre Cardin, Charlie Chaplin and Stephen Baldwin.
The sculpture Pototsky donated to Malta was concepted to
commemorate the 30th anniversary of the meeting in 1989 in Malta of the then US
President George H. W. Bush and the
President of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev when the Cold War was declared
officially over.
The globe depicts the reliefs of the two Presidents separated
by tracks which represent the trail of armored tanks, but which, however,
evolve into leaves of the laurel shrub, the symbol of the triumph of
humanity. A representation of razor wire
runs all over the globe. This represents
the Iron Curtain which once divided Europe and the World. A crack in the bronze also runs through the
globe. This symbolizes the fragility of
peace and that what was achieved can easily be lost.
The symbolism of the sculpture represents sentiments very
close to the heart of Pototsky who maintains that ‘A human being is only human
when he is kind’. This concept of human
kindness is in fact his life mission which he seeks to promote with his bronze
monument known as Dandelion of Kindness and which he has planted all over the
world.