18 minutes agoNATO: US ready to review its decision if Russia starts implementing Open Sky
Periskopi(6 years ago)
(6 years ago)Secretary - General NATO Jens Stoltenberg said the United States is willing to consider its decision to withdraw from the Open Sky Agreement if Russia starts implementing the agreement. He said NATO is committed to maintaining effective international weapons control and that all [...]
Secretary - General NATO Jens Stoltenberg said the United States is willing to consider its decision to withdraw from the Open Sky Agreement if Russia starts implementing the agreement.
He said NATO is committed to maintaining effective international control of weapons and that all signatories must fully respect obligations.
Stoltenberg convened an urgent meeting of the North Atlantic Council, consisting of ambassadors of NATO member states on Friday afternoon, after the United States announced it would withdraw from the Open Skies Agreement within six months.
“We are determined firmly to maintain effective international weapons control, disarmament and non-proliferation. We agree that all signatories of the Open Heavens Agreement must fully meet their obligations. All NATO allies fully agree with all provisions of that agreement”, Stoltenberg said.
He said the United States is “willing to consider withdrawing from the agreement if Russia starts to implement the agreement provisions as soon as possible. ”
The deal was reached in 1992 and went into effect in 2002. It has been signed by 35 countries and allows surveillance flights on the territories of signatory countries. It contributes to transparency, which must strengthen the confidence of signatory countries in co-operation on security issues.
Since its entry into force, over 1,500 surveillance flights have been registered. Signatories of the agreement are almost all NATO members, and several other countries outside the alliance, including Russia, Ukraine and Georgia.
Stoltenberg said Russia has long imposed restrictions on flights over Kaliningrad and near the border with Georgia.
The key implementation of the deal from Russia undermines the Open Sky Agreement”, he said.
Russia and the United States have long accused each other of violating the deal.
At the end of last year, US President Donald Trump warned withdrawal from the deal, Kosovo Press broadcasts.
The US has accused Russia of constantly violating the terms of the agreement and that Washington will officially withdraw from it.
