MOSCOW, September 2. /TASS/. In the period of September 2-6, US and Czech military will perform an observation flight above the territory of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, while Russian crews will fly above Finland, Russia’s Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper reported on Monday, citing Chief of the National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center Sergei Ryzhkov.
"Within the framework of the Open Skies treaty implementation, Russia plans to conduct an observation flight over Finland in accordance with the Open Skies Treaty, using an Antonov An-30B survey aircraft," Ryzhkov said, adding that the flight will take place between September 2 and 6, from the Vantaa airport near the Finnish capital of Helsinki.
"During the same period, within the framework of the Open Skies treaty implementation, a joint mission by the United States and Czech republic will carry out a joint observation mission over the territory of Belarus and Russia from the Kubinka airfield, using Romania’s An-30 surveillance aircraft," the official added.
The Treaty on Open Skies was signed in Helsinki on March 24, 1992, by the member-states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and went into force on January 1, 2002. The accord includes 34 countries, among them, most NATO members, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden and Finland. Russia ratified the Treaty on May 26, 2001.
The purpose of the deal is to help build confidence between countries through the improvement of mechanisms to control military activities and compliance with arms control agreements. The treaty establishes a regime of unarmed short-notice observation flights over the territories of states parties.