RFG: OPEN SKIES--SUPPORT CANADA ON ACCESSION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 USOSCE 000053 SIPDIS STATE FOR VCI/CCA, VCI/NRRC, EUR/RPM, EUR/PRA, EUR/CARC, SCA/CEN, SCA/RA, PM/WRA, ISN/CPI NSC FOR HAYES, MCFALL, DAVIDSON, HOVENIER, SHERWOOD-RANDALL OSD FOR ISA (WALLENDER) JCS, EUCOM, USAREUR AND CENTCOM: FOR J-5 E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/18/2016 TAGS: KCFE OSCE PARM PREL RS XG SUBJECT: RFG: OPEN SKIES--SUPPORT CANADA ON ACCESSION OUTREACH REF: USOSCE 00019 Classified By: Chief Arms Control Delegate Hugh Neighbour for reasons 1 .4(B)&(D) ¶1. (C) Summary: The Treaty on Open Skies is open for accession by any state worldwide. Broadening the Treaty membership will be discussed in the Open Skies Consultative Commission (OSCC) prior to and during the June 7-9 Review Conference. The Treaty remains Euro-Atlantic centric with 34 States Parties. Canada, as current OSCC Chair and Treaty co-depositary, is actively encouraging accession by additional OSCE participating States, especially former Soviet republics in Central Asia. Canada has asked for U.S. support in this effort. As Chair of the June Treaty Review Conference, we will be expected to be active on this issue as well. ¶2. (C) Action request: Post requests that Washington provide guidance allowing U.S. officials to support Canada's outreach efforts with OSCE states regarding encouragement for accession to the Open Skies Treaty. End summary and action request. -------------- Canadian Initiative for Accessions -------------- ¶3. (SBU) In January 2010, Canada assumed the chairmanship of the Open Skies Consultative Commission (OSCC) with a clear and ambitious agenda. Canada indicated its agenda includes outreach to OSCE participating States (pS) to promote Treaty accession (details Ref A). In the year of Kazakhstan's term as OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Canada is looking in particular to former Soviet republics in Central Asia. Open Skies Treaty co-depositary Hungary has offered major support to Canada in this endeavor. Other Allies are also supportive, including Turkey. ¶4. (SBU) Indeed, during her remarks at the 2010 OSCC's opening plenary on January 25, Canadian Ambassador Gregory stated that, while the Open Skies regime was "a real jewel" in the OSCE politico-military toolbox, Open Skies member states should not avoid opportunities to improve the regime and that the accession of new members was a clear means to do so. Canada has specifically approached the U.S. to request support and outreach assistance. ¶5. (SBU) As an initial step, Canada will hold a reception for all OSCE pS on February 22 in Vienna, where they will urge non-members to accede. Along with co-depositary Hungary, Canada will follow up with letters. Canada plans to focus its attention on former Soviet republics, particularly the Central Asian states, which "may accede to it at any time by depositing an instrument of accession with one of the depositaries", i.e., with Canada or Hungary (OS Treaty, article XVII, para 3). Indeed, under this Treaty provision, specified former Soviet Union states (Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Moldova, Armenia, and Azerbaijan) enjoy an exclusive fast track to accession. All other states must apply for accession with the OSCC, and future members must be approved by OSCC consensus. Note: Although Kyrgyzstan is a Treaty signatory, it has not ratified and deposited its instruments, but could do so at any time. End note. USOSCE 00000053 002 OF 003 6.(SBU) Inter alia, Canada will cite both the openness, transparency and cooperation value offered by Open Skies missions and the "added value" that new and non-traditional applications of Open Skies platforms can provide in other areas, such as transnational threats, climate change, environmental mapping and analyses, and natural disaster response. Canada cited U.S. use of the OC-135B airframe to assist in disaster response in Haiti as an example of how the Open Skies assets can provide additional "added value" to States Parties. Canada will also appeal to Kazakhstan in its current status as OSCE Chairman-in-Office. ¶7. (C) When we asked Russia (Federyakov) if it thought Kazakhstan should accede, the response was "of course, why not?" He added that if Kazakhstan wants to accede it would be good for all. Federyakov mused that Kazakhstan might find it more worthwhile to accede alongside Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, rather than alone. He added that given poor track records of implementation of other CSBMs, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are unlikely to accede. -------------- -- Would U.S. Benefit from Additional Accession? -------------- --- ¶8. (C) The accession of new States Parties, including Central Asian and Caucusus states, could provide opportunities to further U.S. foreign policy priorities, as would OSCE Partners for Cooperation bordering the European region. Broadening treaty membership could increase transparency and cooperation in the OSCE space and provide vast additional territory open to mission overflight, and with consequent potential to support U.S. interests regarding transnational threats, climate change, and natural disasters. The massive opening of new flyover terrain for U.S. and Allied Open Skies missions would be valuable in Central Asia, where all states are members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). ¶9. (SBU) As Secretary Clinton noted in her recent remarks in Paris, France, European Security "begins with transparency." The Treaty on Open Skies provides member states with a valuable transparency tool by allowing all participants a direct role in gathering information through aerial imaging on military forces and activities of concern to them. In turn, the transparency created through the Open Skies regime mitigates the uncertainty that member states may have of the military capabilities of neighbors and thus helps provide security and stability in the OSCE space. As new members accede, more parties gain access to, and benefit from, this valuable transparency mechanism and the security and stabilizing benefits are extended across a greater number of countries. ¶10. (C) Comment: With a little bit of welcoming encouragement, we believe several OSCE states could see benefits for membership for them. Per OSCC decision 6, Annex 1 (of 16 July 1993)) all OSCE pS that are not already members of the OS Treaty are entitled to be observers to the Treaty. As such they are invited to attend plenary meetings and other OSCC events. OSCE states and partners will be invited to attend the June 2010 review conference (RevCon) as well. At a minimum, since the U.S. will be chairing the USOSCE 00000053 003 OF 003 RevCon, the OSCE states and partners would see U.S. encouragement for accession as a friendly, positive gesture, even if ultimately they decided not to accede. End Comment. -------------- RFG/Support Canada's Outreach Effort -------------- ¶11. (C) Action request: Mission understands that the United States may join consensus in support of any application for accession by an OSCE state. Post requests that Washington provide guidance allowing U.S. officials to support Canada's outreach efforts with OSCE states regarding encouragement for accession to the Open Skies Treaty. End action request. FULLER