MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Speaking at the Third Open Skies Treaty Review Conference in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, the head of the Foreign Ministry's Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control, said the Ukrainian crisis had become, in essence, a test of the effectiveness of the treaty.
"Last year, Russia hosted over 15 inspection flights aimed at monitoring large swaths of the Russian territory neighboring on Ukraine. Unfortunately, despite the conclusions that there were no signs of excessive concentration of Russian troops or weaponry along the border, the campaign of accusations against Russia had not subsided."
The Open Skies Treaty members hold a review conference once every five years. The first such conference took place in 2005, and the second, chaired by the United States, was held in Vienna in June 2010.
"If the results of aerial reconnaissance are not used as evidence and are practically ignored, if these results are being interpreted to satisfy political trends, then we are witnessing the destruction of this treaty's reputation as an instrument of objective control over armed forces and military activity. Therefore, we believe it is necessary to review recommendations proposed at the previous conference and develop a clear set of rules and steps on organizing and carrying out emergency inspection lights."
The Treaty on Open Skies was signed on March 24, 1992 in Helsinki, Finland, and currently numbers 34 state parties.
