MOSCOW, May 26. /ITAR-TASS/. A joint mission of inspectors from Hungary, Italy, and Slovenia will make an observation flight from March 26 to 30 over the Russian Federation under the international Treaty on Open Skies (TOS), Sergei Ryzhkov, chief of the national Nuclear Risk Reduction Center (NRRC), told ITAR-TASS on Monday.

"The flight will be made aboard a Hungarian observation plane An-26. Russian specialists on board the plane will monitor strict observance of the parameters of the flight and the use of observation instrumentation," Ryzhkov pointed out. He emphasized that the An-26 belongs to a class of aircraft which are not designed for the use of any weapons. "The plane and the onboard instrumentation have gone through international examination procedures," the NRRC chief added.

Treaty on Open Skies

The Treaty on Open Skies had been signed in 1992. Thirty-four states are Parties to the Treaty. Observation flights are made over Russia, the United States, Canada, and European countries.

The main goals of TOS are to develop transparency, assist in the monitoring of the implementation of arms control agreements, broaden possibilities for the prevention of crises, and settle crisis situations within the framework of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and other international organizations.