MOSCOW, August 26. /TASS/. The Norwegian, Canadian and US military will conduct an Open Skies observation mission over Russia on August 26-30, while Russia will carry out an observation flight over France, Russia’s Krasnaya Zvezda (or Red Star) newspaper reported on Monday, citing Chief of the National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center Sergei Ryzhkov.
"On August 26-30, Russia plans to conduct an observation flight over France in accordance with the Open Skies Treaty, using an Antonov An-30B survey aircraft," the newspaper wrote. "At the same time, the United States, Norway and Canada will carry out a joint observation mission over Russia from the Kubinka airfield, using a Saab 340 aircraft," the paper added.
The observation flights are aimed at boosting transparency in terms of member states’ military activities, as well as at strengthening security.
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.