VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVEN #0302/01 3511247
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 161247Z DEC 08
FM USMISSION USOSCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6097
INFO RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEAADN/DTRA DULLES WASHINGTON DC
RUESDT/DTRA-OSES DARMSTADT GE
RUEADWD/DA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5-DDIN/CAC

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