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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0841

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