MOSCOW, April 13. /TASS/. Military experts from Russia, the United States and Turkey will conduct a series of checks within the framework of the International Treaty on Open Skies and the Vienna Document of 2011. Head of the Russian National Nuclear Threat Reduction Center Sergey Ryzhkov told TASS that under the Vienna Document of 2011 on confidence-building measures and security, a team of Russian inspectors plans to inspect military ranges of Cyprus and the UK.
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They will visit on April 13-16 the northern part of Scotland, where the Joint Warrior maneuvers will be held with the participation of military personnel from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the UK and the United States. "During the event, the inspectors will visit ranges and plan to hold Command briefings on the conducted military activities," Ryzhkov said.
The Vienna Document was adopted by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in November 2011, it provides for the inspection of certain areas, units and military formations in order to control military activity. According to the document, no more than three inspections in any state annually are allowed. Parties to the treaty since early February have already conducted three inspections in southern Russia. Experts from Turkey, the Netherlands and Ukraine have checked the Rostov region, detecting no military activity there.
The Treaty on Open Skies (25 signatories, effective January 1, 2002) establishes a regime of unarmed aerial observation flights over the territories of its signatories. The Treaty is designed to enhance mutual understanding and confidence by giving all participants, regardless of size, a direct role in gathering information through aerial imaging on military forces and activities of concern to them. Open Skies is one of the most wide-ranging international arms control efforts to date to promote openness and transparency in military forces and activities.