OPEN SKIES: 2009 QUOTA DISTRIBUTION/DECONFLICTION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USOSCE 000245

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR VCI/CCA, EUR/PRA, EUR/RPM, SCA/CEN
JCS FOR COL NORWOOD
OSD FOR ISA (PERENYI)
NSC FOR HAYES

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM PREL OSCE
SUBJECT: OPEN SKIES: 2009 QUOTA DISTRIBUTION/DECONFLICTION
MEETINGS AND WORKING GROUP


1. (SBU) Summary. On October 9-10 USDEL participated in the
2009 active quota distribution meeting and led the
deconfliction discussion for observation flights over
Belarus/Russian Federation and Ukraine. The U. S. asked for
and received 14 active quotas over Belarus/Russian Federation
and 1 active quota over Ukraine. Following the quota
distribution, USDEL organized and successfully deconflicted
the observation flight schedule over Russia and Ukraine for
all of 2009. Additionally, USDEL met with various
delegations and finalized next year's flight sharing
arrangements.


2. (SBU) Earlier in the week, The OSCC Working Group on
Rules and Procedures met to discuss Slovakia's proposed draft
decision on alternate airfields. The U.K. and Sweden
expressed support for the draft while several States Parties
expressed concerns with the applicability of the decision
during an emergency landing and observation flight. Slovakia
will addressed inputs from States Parties and will distribute
a revised draft for discussion at the next working group
meeting. Washington please see paragraphs 4, 8, and 9. End
summary.

QUOTA DISTRIBUTION MEETING - SPIRIT OF COOPERATION
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3. (SBU) USDEL (Duong, Wright, Robinette Jordan, White,
Harmon) participated in the Open Skies Consultative
Commission (OSCC) "Meeting on Active Quota Distribution 2009
and Preliminary Deconfliction Discussion" on October 9-10.
Germany (Ratzlaff) chaired the quota distribution discussions
that was characterized by a spirit of cooperation by many
States Parties. The three "oversubscription" problems
concerned passive quotas over Bosnia-Herzegovina (2 over),
Georgia (2 over),and Ukraine (2 over). Delegations from
Sweden, Turkey, Latvia, Germany, France and Italy displayed
the Treaty's spirit of cooperation by their offer and
willingness to share their observation flights and aircraft
over the three oversubscribed countries. Through sharing
agreements, passive quotas were reduced to within Treaty
limit.


4. (SBU) The United States requested and received 14 active
quotas over Belarus/Russian Federation and one quota over
Ukraine. The U.S. will share its missions over
Belarus/Russian Federation with Bulgaria, Czech Republic,
France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, United Kingdom, Norway,
Sweden, Turkey, as well as other partners yet to be
determined partners. The U.S. will share its single quota
over Ukraine with Canada. Russia requested and received 4
observation flights over the United States. Additional
details of the quota distribution can be found in
OSCC.DEL/17/08. Belarus will prepare a draft decision on the
2009 active quota distribution for adoption by the OSCC
Plenary on October 27. USDEL have verified that the quota
allocation is in compliance with the various provisions of
the Treaty on Open Skies. Unless otherwise directed, USDEL
intends to join consensus on this decision.

DENMARK TO FLY OPEN SKIES - TURKISH IR SENSOR WORKSHOP
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5. (SBU) An encouraging development for the Treaty on Open
Skies occurred during the quota meeting. Denmark, which has
never conducted an active Opens Skies observation flight
since ratifying the Treaty, decided to do so in 2009. Due to
the lateness of Denmark's decision, the Danish Open Skies
team was not able to submit the OSF-34 per the timeline
dictated by OSCC Decision 12/04 (by 1 October). As a result,
Denmark was concerned that its one quota request for
Belarus/Russian Federation would be denied. Following a
formal request by the Danish delegation at the quota
distribution meeting, was supported by Norway, the U.S., and
Turkey, the German chair agreed to include the Danish bid
into the quota distribution process.


6. (SBU) Additionally, during the meeting, Turkey called

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attention to its upcoming infrared sensor data gathering
workshop which will be held from 3-14 November. This was a
repeat of Turkish OSF-35 transmitted on 26 September
(OS/TR/08/35/F35/O) that officially announced the event.
Turkish representatives distributed an information packet
that contained the workshop schedule as well as tourist
brochure for Antalya, Turkey. USDEL (White, Harmon) will
delivered the packets to U.S. sensor working group team
members.

FLIGHT DECONFLICTION - FAST AND FURIOUS
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7. (SBU) Immediately following the quota distribution
meeting, USDEL led the discussion to deconflict observation
flights over Belarus/Russian Federation and Ukraine for 2009.
The preliminary schedule submitted by States Parties with
active quotas over the two countries had 8 scheduling
conflicts in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. In a whirlwind and at
times excited discussion, participants were able to, within
30 minutes, deconflict the flight schedule for 2009 (in
contrast to last year's 2 days of meeting) with the exception
of one (U.S. and Turkey). It was the now familiar situation
of Turkey not wanting to flex from its unreasonable desire to
not fly in the 1st and 3rd quarter due to "bad" weather.
Fortunately, Turkey and the U.S. were able to come to an
agreement to share the mission during the week in conflict.


8. (SBU) USDEL requests Washington transmit the OSF-28
notification for flights over Belarus/Russian Federation for
the 1st quarter of 2009 as detailed below.

-1st flight: US(lead)-Germany
-2nd flight: Italy
-3rd flight: Poland
-4th flight: US(lead)-Sweden-Norway


9. (SBU) USDEL requests Washington transmit the OSF-28
notification for flights over Ukraine for the 1st quarter of
2009 as detailed below.

-1st flight: Spain(lead)-Czech Republic

SHARING AGREEMENTS - LET'S MAKE A DEAL
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10. (SBU) On the margins of the quota discussions, USDEL
conducted a number of bilateral and multilateral meetings
with potential observation flight sharing partners. In
addition to agreements that had been previously coordinated
and agreed to, USDEL was able to confirm additional sharing
agreement with Hungary and Turkey for 2009. Finland was not
willing to enter into a sharing arrangement because the
$15,000 offered by USDEL was not enough. The Finns wanted a
50/50 arrangement. With much regret, the Latvian delegation
informed USDEL that they are not able to share a flight with
the U.S. due to a prior agreement with Germany. Latvia did
indicate its openness to the idea of sharing an observation
flight with the U.S. in 2010.

ROMANIAN/US SHARED MISSION - FIRST TIMER
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11. (SBU) Following intensive discussion with USDEL
(Harmon, Duong, Wright, Robinette, Jordan, White) throughout
the two days, Romania agreed to share their one 2008
observation mission over Russia with the U.S. The mission
will take place in November. The U.S. support in this
mission will be essential as this is the first time Romania
will utilize its newly certified aircraft in a mission over
Russia. USDEL (Harmon, Duong) consulted with Russian and
Belarusian representatives (Kozlov, Pavlov) on allowing the
U.S. to have an extra quota over Russia for 2008. Following
consultation with their capitals, USDEL was informed that
Belarus/Russian Federation would agreed to the U.S. proposal.
USDEL will coordinate the appropriate administrative
modalities to facilitate the US-Romania sharing agreement.

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SLOVAK'S ALTERNATE AIRFIELDS DECISION - NOT A DONE DEAL
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12. (SBU) The Open Skies Working Group on Rules and
Procedures met on October 6 under the Chairmanship of Russia.
The focus of the meeting was on Slovakia's draft decision on
alternate airfields (OSCC.RP/13/08/Rev.1). Slovak
representative (Jancovic) introduced the latest version of
the draft decision which included comments from the U.S. as
well as other States Parties. There was general agreement
with the new text and both the U.K. and Sweden expressed
their support for the decision.


13. (SBU) However, several States Parties wanted
clarification on the applicability of the decision. Belarus
(Pavlov) wanted to insert the phrase "group of States
Parties" into the opening paragraph to make it applicable to
the Russian Federation and Belarus group of States Parties.
Turkey (Ercan) questioned how the cost aspect of the decision
would apply to an emergency landing at an alternate airfield
not designated under the decision. Finland (Kangaste) was
confused by the verbiage in paragraph 6 of the draft.
Kangaste wanted to know if the observing State Party would be
allow to continue with the observation flight following a
landing at an alternate airfield.


14. (SBU) The chair encouraged delegations with additional
questions and comments to send their propose changes to him
and the Slovakian delegation. Jancovic will distribute a new
version for discussion at the next working group meeting to
be held on 27 October.
SCOTT