VZCZCXRO2227
PP RUEHAST RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSL
RUEHSR
DE RUEHVEN #0168/01 1981456
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 171456Z JUL 09
FM USMISSION USOSCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6497
INFO RUCNOSC/ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEHNC
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 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