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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 STATE 015591 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OSCE PARM PREL
SUBJECT: TREATY ON OPEN SKIES REVIEW CONFERENCE JUNE 
2010: REPORTING REQUEST 
 
REF: (A)STATE 006955, (B)USOSCE 19 
 
¶1. (SBU) This is an action message; see para 4 below. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Background: The President has made clear that 
strong multilateral engagement and cooperation with 
partners, including through arms control issues, is at 
the top of his international agenda.  The Treaty on Open 
Skies is one of the leading European conventional arms 
control regimes, and one that exemplifies strong 
multilateral cooperation.  The second Review Conference 
(RevCon) mandated by the Treaty on a five-year cycle 
will be held from June 7-9, 2010 under U.S. Chairmanship 
in Vienna, Austria.  As Washington prepares to host and 
organize the RevCon, it is vital that we work with 
Treaty partners to plan for a successful conference and 
continued successful implementation of the Treaty. 
 
¶3. (SBU) We are specifically seeking information from 
the other 33 States Parties to the Treaty on their goals 
and objectives for the RevCon, and the future of the 
Treaty itself.  In addition, we are interested in 
information on key decision-makers, the policymaking 
process, and the relevant factors that underpin each 
government's positions.  Washington seeks the support of 
our Embassies in outreach activities with partners as 
preparations develop over the next four-month period. 
We greatly value Posts' assistance in providing 
information that will aid Washington's preparations for 
this important international event. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Action:  Posts are requested to contact host 
government officials in the MFA, as well as MOD as 
applicable, to provide the non-paper on the June 2010 
RevCon and list of associated questions in para 5, 
including a notional outline for the RevCon Agenda, and 
to solicit their views on the points in paras 5-6. 
Request Post report on the discussion, including Post 
views on how best to engage host governments on issues 
related to Open Skies in the months ahead.  Washington 
will use responses from this request to inform USG 
policymakers responsible for Open Skies and related 
issues as part of the process of developing policy and 
strategy for the RevCon. 
 
STATE 00015591  002 OF 005 
 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) Begin text of non-paper: 
 
Open Skies Treaty: June 7-9, 2010 Second Review 
Conference Preparations 
 
The Treaty on Open Skies entered into force on January 
1, 2002, and currently has 34 States Parties.  The 
Treaty establishes a regime that allows unarmed aerial 
observation flights over the entire territory of its 
participants.  The Treaty is designed to enhance mutual 
understanding and confidence by giving all participants, 
regardless of size, a direct role in gathering 
information about military forces and activities of 
concern to them.  Open Skies is one of the most wide- 
ranging international efforts to date to promote 
openness and transparency of military forces and 
activities.  To date, over 635 observation flights have 
been conducted. 
 
The President of the United States has made clear that 
strong multilateral engagement and cooperation with 
partners, including through arms control issues, is at 
the top of his international agenda.  As Secretary 
Clinton said in her speech in Paris on January 29 
"European security remains an anchor of U.S. foreign and 
security policy." The Treaty on Open Skies is a leading 
European conventional arms control regime that 
exemplifies strong multilateral, transatlantic 
cooperation. 
 
The Treaty mandates a five-year Review Conference 
(RevCon) cycle, and the next one will be held from June 
7-9, 2010 under U.S. Chairmanship.  The RevCon provides 
a unique opportunity for the States Parties to the 
Treaty to not only review implementation, but to also 
provide future direction.  The United States remains 
committed to full implementation of the Treaty by all 
Parties, and is eager to work with partners to ensure 
the Treaty's continued viability into the future. 
Specifically, we are all facing technological advances, 
which create some Treaty sustainment issues that warrant 
special attention.  Being mindful of international 
resource constraints, we want to work with Treaty 
partners on a transition plan for new digital sensors 
and aircraft. 
 
In Vienna, the Open Skies Consultative Commission (OSCC) 
established an Informal Working Group on Planning the 
 
STATE 00015591  003.2 OF 005 
 
 
Review Conference (IWGPRC), which met twice in the fall. 
The U.S. Chair has encouraged all States Parties to 
think about two issues:  preparation of the agenda for 
the meeting and the content/scope of a political Final 
Document.  In Vienna, there is broad agreement that a 
consensus political Final Document should be prepared. 
We are planning to begin discussion of the draft agenda 
for the RevCon at the next OSCC meeting on February 22. 
 
We are proposing the following outline of topics for the 
agenda: 
¶A.       Review and Evaluation of Treaty Implementation 
2005-Present 
a.      Overview of OSCC Activities 
b.      Reports by Informal Working Groups (Sensors, 
Rules and Procedures) 
c.      Status of current observation aircraft and 
their sensors 
d.      Conduct of observation flights and mission 
planning 
e.      Quota distribution 
f.      Notification exchanges 
g.      Sharing observation flights - lessons 
learned for joint planning/execution 
h.      Accession of new States Parties 
 
¶B.      Future Treaty Implementation:  Designing the Next 
Generation of Treaty Implementation 
a.      Future Resources: 
i.      Aircraft, sensors, digital products 
Russia brief on new platform/sensors 
ii.     Transition Plan:  film to digital 
capability 
iii.    Sharing Assets?  Common ownership and 
operation of Open Skies assets 
(aircraft, sensors, targets, etc.) 
b.      Broadening the utility of Open Skies 
aircraft and imagery: 
i.      Applications (disaster relief, climate 
change, energy security) 
ii.     Awareness Raising - Public Relations 
Outreach 
c.      Google Earth Demonstration 
d.      Digital sensor implementation protocol - how 
to satisfy Treaty obligations with digital 
data 
-- What topics would your government like to see 
included as agenda items for the RevCon?  Could your 
delegation provide a food-for-thought paper on this 
 
STATE 00015591  004.2 OF 005 
 
 
subject for review in advance of the RevCon? 
 
--The U.S. supports the goal of a consensus political 
document, e.g., Final Document, at the close of the 
RevCon.  Does your government share this goal? 
 
-- How does your government view the contributions of 
Open Skies to the broader European security 
architecture? 
 
--How does your government plan to continue support for 
the Treaty in the future, including the transition to 
digital sensors/media? 
 
--Is your government considering replacing your Open 
Skies aircraft and/or sensors? 
 
--Does your government plan to continue exercising Open 
Skies quotas missions? 
 
--Does your government continue to value missions as 
CSBMs and as transparency measures? 
 
--Is your government interested in conducting missions 
for other "transnational" threats (see OSCE Ministerial 
Decision 2/09)? 
 
We look forward to working with [host country] and all 
our Treaty partners in planning the RevCon in the coming 
months.  In order to prepare for the next OSCC meeting, 
we welcome responses to this non-paper and questions by 
February 26. 
 
End non-paper 
 
¶6. (SBU) Post may draw on the following questions during 
discussion (do not provide in writing to host 
governments): 
 
-- Who are key government personnel involved in Open 
Skies decision-making in the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs, related ministries (such as defense)? 
 
-- How does the Open Skies policymaking process work, 
and what is the interplay among government officials and 
agencies? 
 
-- What are the key factors that influence policies or 
positions on Open Skies issues?  What aspects of this 
 
STATE 00015591  005 OF 005 
 
 
Treaty are important to your government? 
 
-- What are the roles and influence of the host 
country's conventional weapons industry (if any), 
academia, and non-governmental organizations in Open 
Skies decision-making? 
 
¶7. (U) For USOSCE Vienna:  Please share the non-paper in 
paragraph 5 with OSCC delegations in Vienna and 
encourage them to coordinate with their capitals as soon 
as possible.  The U.S. provided a draft agenda to the 
OSCC for discussion at the next IWGPRC on February 22 
(OSCC.PRC/1/10).  We also welcome feedback from Vienna 
delegations on the non-paper, with primary emphasis on 
draft agenda items for the RevCon. 
 
¶8. (U) Posts:  for additional information about the Open 
Skies Treaty, please see: 
http://t.state.gov/t/vci/occa/os/os.htm 
 
¶9. (U) Please slug replies for the Department (VCI/CCA) 
and USOSCE Vienna (AC).  Questions regarding this 
message may be directed to Diana Marvin (VCI/CCA), 
marvindi@state(.sgov).gov, or 1-202-647-5357, or Darin 
Liston, listondm@state(.sgov).gov, or 1-202-647-9567. 
CLINTON