MOSCOW, March 11. /TASS/. A joint US-Norwegian mission will carry out an observation flight over Russia under the Treaty on Open Skies this week, while Russian experts will accomplish a similar mission over the territory of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, Acting Head of the Russian Defense Ministry's National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center Ruslan Shishin has told reporters.

"The joint US-Norwegian mission will carry out an observation flight over Russia’s territory aboard a OC-135B US observation aircraft from Khabarovsk (Novy) Airport on March 11-16," he said.

For its part, Russia plans to carry out an observation flight over Benelux aboard an An-30B observation aircraft on March 11-15, which starts from Hungary’s Kecskemet airport, with the maximum flight range of 945 kilometers.

"The Russian observation aircraft will fly along the route agreed on with the observed party, and Benelux specialists on board will monitor the use of observation equipment and compliance with the Treaty’s provisions. Observation flights under the treaty are carried out to promote greater openness and transparency in the states parties’ military activity and strengthen security through confidence-building measures," Shishin stressed.

This is Russian experts’ fifth observation flight over the the territories of the Treaty’s states participants in 2019.