OPEN SKIES TREATY: JULY 13 PLENARY - SECOND REVIEW

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USOSCE 000168 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR VCI/CCA, EUR/RPM, EUR/PRA JCS FOR J-5 OSD FOR ISA (WALLENDER) NSC FOR NILSSON EUCOM FOR J-5 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL KCFE OSCE SUBJECT: OPEN SKIES TREATY: JULY 13 PLENARY - SECOND REVIEW CONFERENCE PLANNING UNDERWAY USOSCE 00000168 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The July 13 Open Skies Consultative Commission (OSCC) agreed that the dates for the second Review Conference (RC) would be 7-9 June 2010 under U.S. Chairmanship. The draft decision on Rules of Procedure for the RC was circulated for adoption at the September plenary. USDel has consulted broadly with many Treaty partners on goals and objectives for the RC. The U.S. raised concerns with ongoing altitude restrictions for flights in the Moscow area, with Russia again citing flight safety issues. The U.S. distributed the updated Certification Technical Document on CD. Germany announced the arrangements for the October 8-9 annual quota distribution and deconfliction meetings. Mission recommends holding an Informal Working Group on Sensors, and conducting further RC planning in Vienna in early October. The fall session will be chaired by Bulgaria, beginning with the plenary on September 14. End Summary. 2nd Review Conference Planning Underway 2.(SBU) The July 13 OSCC Plenary adopted the Decision establishing the dates for the second RC as June 7-9, 2010. (OSCC.DEC/4/09). The U.S. also worked with the Chair (Bosnia-Herzegovina) to distribute the draft decision on Rules of Procedure for the RC, with the goal of OSCC adoption at the September plenary (OSCC.DD/5/09). USDel has begun consultations with numerous partners on goals and objectives for the RC. Delegations consistently supported a forward-looking agenda, and welcomed preliminary ideas on how to sustain the Treaty in an environment of shrinking resources. All agreed that political support remains strong, but that the worldwide economic crisis is having a negative impact on operations. Delegations agreed an informal working group to prepare for the RC would be useful. 3.(SBU) They also supported outreach to other OSCE functional areas to see if the Open Skies product could be used for a broader range of security issues in the OSCE area, e.g., energy security, climate change, infrastructure protection. Delegations were open to inviting representatives from these areas to brief the OSCC on their projects to stimulate thinking on where Open Skies may be able to provide added value. In this regard, delegations also welcomed the possibility to receive a briefing on the results of imagery obtained during flights. 4.(SBU) In a bilateral with Russia (Federyakov and Peresypkin),it offered three possible items for inclusion on the agenda of the RC: a) Analysis of the conduct of observation flights together with a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the resources required to implement the Treaty; b) On procedures for distribution and account for active quotas among several States Parties conducting the observation flight under their joint active quota; c) On current disbalance in receiving the Treaty-related information by Russia resulting from the NATO member countries decision not to conduct observation flights over each other. Moving Forward on Sensor Decisions. 5.(SBU) During the plenary, the U.S. (Neighbour) provided a report from the Chairman of the Informal Working Group on Sensors (IWGS) (OSCC49.JOUR/156, Annex 1). Lack of digital imagery taken over Open Skies targets, and the inability to analyze such data is impeding the work of the IWGS. The Chair noted he is trying to find additional opportunities for data collection so the sensor decisions can be adopted with the practical assessment of results incorporated. 6.(SBU) In preparation for the RC, USDel emphasized during a series of bilateral discussions, including with Russia, the importance of completing the sensor decisions prior to the RC. The OSCC needs a transition plan for states to change from film sensors to digital capability. Commercial sources of film are reducing production. Ideally, the RC would be welcoming the results of a transition plan to digital sensors. It would be politically unfavorable for the outcome USOSCE 00000168 002 OF 002 of the RC, and perhaps the future of the Treaty, should there be little progress on these issues. No delegation disagreed with these U.S. views. 7.(SBU) Comment: The United States is in a unique position to provide leadership on this subject as incoming Chair of the RC, as Chair of the IWGS, and as the historical leader of the Treaty itself. Mission urges Washington to focus on steps that can be taken to ensure a positive outcome on resolving the digital sensor issue for the RC, the future of the Treaty itself, and for U.S. leadership in this important Euro-Atlantic Treaty. End Comment. Moscow Altitude Restrictions Raised Again 8.(SBU) During the plenary, U.S. (Neighbour) raised the subject of Russian airspace altitude restrictions over the Moscow area (OSCC49.JOUR.156, Annex 2). Drawing on the language in the F14 Mission report, the U.S. described our attempt to conduct a flight plan through Moscow at the U.S. certified sensor altitude of 1,500 meters. Russia refused this leg of the mission, stating familiar position that the flights must be conducted at least 3,600 meters or higher in this area. The U.S. urged Russia to allow flights at certified altitudes consistent with Treaty obligation to allow full territorial access. Russia responded with familiar arguments, namely this altitude is necessary for flight safety purposes(OSCC49.JOUR/156, Annex 3). Russia closed by noting States Parties are free to select sensors that can operate at the higher altitude Russia insists on over its capital, thus preserving the observing states, rights to full access. ¶9. AOB (SBU): --Annual Quota Distribution Meeting Set: Germany (Ratzlaff) announced that the arrangements for the annual quota distribution and deconfliction meetings have been set for October 8-9 in Vienna (OSCC.INF/8/09). The modalities are the same as in previous years. He reminded delegations that notification bids for 2010 quotas are due no later than 1 October. Comment: In order to maximize resources of Open Skies delegates coming to Vienna for the quota meeting, Mission recommends the U.S. plan on hosting an IWGS meeting, as well as an RC informal working group, in early October. End Comment. --The U.S. announced that an updated version of the Certification Technical Document was distributed to delegations on CD. --The fall schedule of meetings was provided by incoming Chair Bulgaria, with plenaries arranged as follows: 14 September; 19 October; 23 November; and 14 December (OSCC.INF/10/09). Scott