Open Skies Treaty
The 34 nation agreement allows the u s russia and.
Open skies treaty. The oscc considers matters of treaty compliance decides on treaty membership distributes active quotas and deals with any questions that may arise during the implementation of the treaty. Treaty on open skies. We understand that many of our allies and partners in europe still find value in the treaty and we are grateful for the thoughtful feedback they have offered us during the course of our review of these. The treaty on open skies entered into force on january 1 2002 and currently has 34 party states.
The treaty is designed to enhance mutual understanding and confidence by giving all participants regardless of size a direct role in gathering information about military forces and. Organization for security and co operation in europe. Has withdrawn from the open skies treaty due to non compliance by russia secretary of state michael pompeo said sunday making good on a planned move by the outgoing trump administration. It establishes a program of unarmed aerial surveillance flights over the entire territory of its participants.
Specifically they ve blamed moscow for preventing surveillance flights from happening over russia. The united states has formally withdrawn from the treaty on open skies an agreement that sought to foster trust by allowing the 34 participating nations to observe one another s militaries. President trump s administration will give official notice of the u s s intent to exit the open skies treaty officials announced thursday. While initially imagined as a key part of multiple arms control deals for over a decade many in washington believe russia is in regular non compliance with ost protocols.
The open skies treaty was meant to contribute to international security but it has been twisted and perverted in its implementation and now serves russian purposes inimical to that security. The trump administration formally withdrew from the 34 nation open skies treaty on november 22 after serving the obligatory six months notice to do so in may this year. It specifies inter alia quotas for observation flights.