OPEN SKIES: DECEMBER 15 PLENARY -- PROGRESS ON

UNCLAS USOSCE 000302

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR VCI/CCA, EUR/PRA
JCS FOR J5/COL NORWOOD
OSD FOR ISA (PERENYI)
NSC FOR MHAYES

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OSCE PARM PREL
SUBJECT: OPEN SKIES: DECEMBER 15 PLENARY -- PROGRESS ON
SENSORS

REF: A. STATE 130737


1. (SBU) Summary: The December 15 Open Skies Consultative
Commission (OSCC) adopted the Decision on Alternate
Airfields. The OSCC also agreed to put a Chairman,s
Statement on Allowable Video Sensors on the January OSCC
agenda for adoption. The Informal Working Group on Sensors
(IWGS) forwarded the statement to the Plenary following a
week of deliberations on draft Decisions for Video sensors.
Assuming this stays on track, States Parties should be able
to move forward on acquisition by mid-2009. The Informal
Working Group on Rules and Procedures (IWGRP) met following
the plenary to discuss fine-tuning wording in the Decision
One on Costs. End Summary.

Progress on Sensors
--------------


2. (SBU) The Informal Working Group on Sensors (IWGS) met
during the week of December 8-12 to discuss draft decisions
necessary for the use of digital video sensors. The group
focused on the draft decision for Revision One to Decision

14. It also discussed Revision Two to Decision 17 and a new
draft decision on Digital Processing. At the request of the
German delegation, the group identified some interim criteria
for selecting digital video cameras. Germany is eager to
move forward on an acquisition program this spring. Thus the
group crafted a Chairman,s Statement that includes criteria
that will allow States to begin purchasing plans. Part of
the deal is to "grandfather" any of the sensors purchased in
accordance with the Chairman,s Statement. Thus, all agreed
that these criteria will be incorporated into the final
version of Rev 1 to D14. Assuming this stays on track,
States Parties should be able to move forward on acquisition
by mid-2009.


3. (SBU) At the Plenary, the U.S. (Neighbour) provided the
IWGS report (OSCC.SEN/10/08) and introduced the Chairman,s
Statement for adoption. The Belarus Chair (Krayushkin)
agreed to issue the draft for OSCC review and will work with
the incoming Belgian Chair to include it on the agenda for
adoption on January 26 (OSCC.DEL/19/08). Germany was
agreeable with this approach. Germany also asked us to work
on a draft Decision for the extension of the IWGS Mandate for

2009. We will update the draft to reflect the progress made
on the Chairman,s Statement, and work with the Belgian Chair
in January to move that forward. The IWGS did not set a date
for the next meeting, although some delegations suggested
early March.


4. (U) U.S. rep Grieshop from the Open Skies Media
Processing Facility (OSMPF) provided hard drives with the
results of U.S. digital sensor testing conducted this summer.
The U.S. asked delegations to review the material to aid
further discussions on visual analysis procedures. The
current drafts of Rev 1 to D14, Rev 2 to D17, and Digital
Processing have been posted on the OSCE website workspace for
the IWGS, and delegations were encouraged to review these
documents in preparation for the next meeting.

Other Plenary business:
--------------


5. (U) At the final plenary of the fall session, the OSCC
adopted Decision 9/08 on Alternate Airfields (Reftel). This
Decision allows States to request information on alternate
airfields to those in the Treaty, and specifies modalities
for using such airfields.


6. (SBU) Spain and Norway both made statements regarding
their decision not to participate in a follow-on attempt to
its joint mission with Canada that was cancelled in
September. Both said they agreed to give Canada their
"share" of the quota, e.g. one-third each. Canada chose to
conduct the mission with consent of the other two partners
right not to participate. In the notification traffic,
Russia had complained that Spain and Norway should state
their intention not to use their quotas. See statements
OSCC47.JOUR/149.



7. (SBU) Comment: USDel recommends Washington consider
consultations with Allies regarding the quota allocation
process to ensure all partners understand the nature of
counting active and passive quotas. The U.S. has maintained
the position that active quotas are counted as whole numbers
versus partial or fractional quotas. The Spanish and
Norwegian statements alluded to partial quotas, and
contribute toward Russia,s position that sharing flights
means partial versus whole quotas. End Comment.


8. (U) The winter OSCC Session will begin on January 26
under Belgian Chairmanship. Other plenaries are scheduled
for February 23 and March 23.

IWGRP
--------------


9. (U) The Informal Working Group on Rules and Procedures
(IWGRP) met briefly after the plenary to discuss revised
language for draft Revision Five of Decision Number One
(OSCC.RP/17/08/Rev 3/Corr 4). The outstanding sections of
language in question are paragraphs 13 and 16. In paragraph
13, Turkey recommended deleting a reference to "from the
point of exit" since planned landings would not take place
after a mission is completed. Russia and Germany agreed with
this suggestion. The UK also offered several minor editorial
details. The IWGRP Chair is expected to issue another
version before the end of the week. The IWGRP will meet next
on January 26 following the plenary. Request Washington
finalize review of the next version in preparation for the
January session.


10. (U) The IWGRP Chair (Kozlov) announced that the agenda of
active documents will be exhausted when this agenda item is
finalized. He said the group would then be in "stand-by"
mode pending the introduction of further items. He will then
organize meetings when the need arises.

FINLEY