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.


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Canadian Initiative for Accessions
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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.

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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.


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Would U.S. Benefit from Additional Accession?
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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

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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.


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RFG/Support Canada's Outreach Effort
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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