Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09USOSCE173
2009-07-24 06:38:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Mission USOSCE
Cable title:  

OPEN SKIES TREATY: JANUARY-JULY 2009 END OF ROUND;

Tags:  PARM PREL KCFE OSCE 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO5300
PP RUEHAST RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSL
RUEHSR
DE RUEHVEN #0173/01 2050638
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 240638Z JUL 09
FM USMISSION USOSCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6513
INFO RUCNOSC/ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC
RUEASWA/DTRA ALEX WASHINGTON DC
RUESDT/DTRA-OSES DARMSTADT GE
RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USOSCE 000173 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR VCI/CCA, EUR/RPM, EUR/PRA
JCS FOR J-5
OSD FOR ISA (KEHL, WALLENDER)
NSC FOR NILSSON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM PREL KCFE OSCE
SUBJECT: OPEN SKIES TREATY: JANUARY-JULY 2009 END OF ROUND;
LAYING GROUNDWORK FOR REVCON UNDER U.S. CHAIR

REF: STATE 4932

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USOSCE 000173

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR VCI/CCA, EUR/RPM, EUR/PRA
JCS FOR J-5
OSD FOR ISA (KEHL, WALLENDER)
NSC FOR NILSSON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM PREL KCFE OSCE
SUBJECT: OPEN SKIES TREATY: JANUARY-JULY 2009 END OF ROUND;
LAYING GROUNDWORK FOR REVCON UNDER U.S. CHAIR

REF: STATE 4932


1. (SBU) Summary: The winter/spring session of the Open
Skies Consultative Commission (OSCC) saw initial preparation
for the second Review Conference, incremental progress on the
draft decision for digital sensors, agreement on a
consolidated Cost decision, and discussion of airspace
restrictions in the Moscow area. OSCC business continues to
be positive and collaborative. The OSCC adopted four
Decisions and one Chairman's Statement. All U.S. goals
(reftel) were met or exceeded.


2. (SBU) Key issues for the fall include development of the
agenda for the Review Conference, the annual distribution of
active quotas, and achieving progress on the digital sensor
decision. The OSCC plenary fall schedule has meetings on
September 14, October 19, November 23, and December 14.
USDel strongly recommends that a sensor working group meeting
be scheduled in early October in order to advance progress on
this important issue (paras 6 and 7.) End Summary.

--------------
Second Review Conference Set for June 2010
--------------


3. (SBU) In the spring, USDel worked with the Treaty
depositaries (Hungary and Canada) to begin preparation of the
Treaty-mandated second Review Conference (RC). The
depositaries announced is would be held in 2010 under the
U.S. Chairmanship (per alphabetical selection). In July, the
OSCC adopted a Decision to hold the RC on June 7-9, 2010
(OSCC.DEC/4/09). USDel also provided a draft Decision to the
OSCC on the Rules of Procedure for the RC for adoption in
September.


4. (SBU) With these functional modalities well underway,
USDel held a broad series of consultations on preparation of
the agenda of the RC, including goals and objectives for RC
desired outcomes. Allies and Russia alike welcomed these
initial food for thought discussions, and agreed that the RC
should be future-oriented. Russia requested that the U.S.
convene an Informal Working Group on RC Planning. USDel
urged Russia to work with us on finding solutions that will
allow adoption of the digital sensor decision prior to the
RC.

--------------

Progress on Sensor Decision Slow
--------------


5. (SBU) In February, the OSCC agreed on a Chairman's
Statement that allows procurement and testing of equipment to
move forward (OSCC.DEL/19/08/Rev 1). The OSCC also agreed to
extend the work of the IWGS in 2009 (OSCC.DEC/1/09). The
technical parameters in the Statement will be included in the
final version of the draft Revision One to Decision 14
(digital video). However, the Informal Working Group on
Sensors (IWGS) meetings in March, chaired by the U.S. (Scott
Simmons),sought without success to further hammer out rules
that would govern, in accordance with Treaty provisions, the
use of digital cameras during Open Skies Observer missions.
Although Russian experts were engaged seriously, progress
remains frustratingly slow due to the complexity of the
discussions.


6. (SBU) Comment: USDel was struck how in informal
consultations that all delegations understood the growing
urgency of the sensors issue so all can go digital. Given
the high cost of Open Skies implementation, if the product
remains awkward wet film imagery, delegations are concerned
this will cause even more cost-benefit questions to arise.
At some point, this could imperil the sustainability of the
Treaty with budget-minded ministries and politicians. The
Russian delegation seemed sensitive to this point, too.
Despite several years of highly-technical IWGS work without
an agreement, delegates remain patient, but agreed that

USOSCE 00000173 002 OF 003


adopting the digital sensor decision prior to the RC is a top
priority. End comment.


7. (SBU) Delegations are awaiting another IWGS meeting or
workshop to analyze digital data so the outstanding issues
remaining can be resolved. USDel strongly recommends that an
IWGS evm+1`E0bAeduled in earl`aVber in order to advance
progress on this important issue.

--------------
Other OSCC Activity:
--------------


8. (SBU) In addition,

--The OSCC agreed on a consolidated Decision on the
Distribution of Costs (OSCC.DEC/2/09). This document
incorporates all previously agreed decisions dealing with a
variety of implementation expenses. With adoption of this
Decision, the active agenda of the Informal Working Group on
Rules and Procedures (IWGRP) was complete. The Russian Chair
of the IWGRP announced that the working group would not meet
unless new proposals were brought forward;

--The OSCC adopted a revision to the annual distribution of
quotas to take account of the fact that Latvia could not
conduct two (out of three) of its planned missions. Both
were shared with other partners, and the decision removes
Latvia from the sharing arrangement. (OSCC.DEC/3/09);

--In January and July, USDel raised our ongoing concerns with
Russia continuing to impose altitude restrictions over the
Moscow airspace zone (OSCC.RP/3/09 and OSCC.JOUR/156, Annex
2);

--Norway announced that it will use a P3 aircraft in the
future, and requested progress on the sensor decision so it
can procure digital sensors next year. In doing so, Norway
will be dropping its future participation in the group that
shares C-130 aircraft with a POD of sensors;

--The OSCC agreed to hold the annual quota distribution for
2010 on October 8-9 (OSCC.INF/8/09);

--Lithuania complained about Russia's unauthorized seizure of
its film copy upon exit from Moscow. Russia agreed it was a
mistake by customs authorities, returned the film promptly to
Lithuania, and promised this would not happen again;

--USDel held a meeting with members of the Western European
Union (WEU) to discuss the 1995 agreement allowing additional
observation flights. USDel confirmed that the WEU members
are willing to continue implementing the arrangement with
Russia, which allows them to conduct additional flights after
all the Treaty quota flights have been conducted.

--------------
Fall Session Issues
--------------


9. (SBU) There are three main areas of focus for the upcoming
Open Skies session which convenes on September 14, under
Bulgarian chairmanship:

a) OSCC adoption of the Rules of Procedure for the RC, and
further work in preparing its agenda;

b) progress on the digital sensor decision; and

c) participation in the annual active quota distribution
and deconfliction meetings (October 8-9).

Other plenary meetings will take place on October 19,
November 23, and December 14.


10. (U) For more details on OSCC plenaries over the past six

USOSCE 00000173 003 OF 003


months, here follows a list of post reporting on the
January-July Round: USOSCE 0014; USOSCE 0045; USOSCE 0060;
USOSCE 0105; USOSCE 0093; USOSCE 0129; USOSCE 0140; and,
USOSCE 0168.
Scott