MOSCOW, June 02. /ITAR-TASS/. Turkish and Norwegian specialists will make a joint observation flight over Russia's territory under the Treaty on Open Skies (TOS), Ruslan Shishina, acting chief of the National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center, told ITAR-TASS.

"A joint mission of Turkey and Norway will make an observation flight over the territory of the Russian Federation aboard a CN-235 plane in a period from June 2 to 6 in implementation of the international Treaty on Open Skies," he said.

During the flight along an agreed route, Russian specialists on board the plane will monitor strict observance of the coordinated parameters of the route and the application of the TOS-prescribed instrumentation.

The observation plane C-235 belongs to a class of flying vehicles that are not designed to carry any armament. The onboard equipment (aerophoto cameras) has undergone the necessary international inspection. Russian specialists also participated in the inspection process, which rules out the use of technical means that are not envisaged by TOS provisions.

The Treaty on Open Skies was signed in 1992. At present, 34 states are parties to the Treaty. Observation flights are made over Russia, the United States, Canada, and European countries.

The principal purposes of TOS are to build trust between countries, promote verification of the implementation of arms control agreements, broaden possibilities for the prevention of crisis, and settle crisis situations within the framework of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) and other international organizations.