Russian Representative Proposes OSCE Area Aircraft Video Monitoring

The Russian delegation head to the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE told Sputnik Saturday he introduced a draft resolution calling on the OSCE member states to equip aircraft in OSCE region with monitoring system that will include real-time video monitoring of conditions on board from the ground to protect passengers from terrorists.

TBILISI (Sputnik) — He noted that such law has been already adopted in Russia adding that the technical means of audio-visual monitoring are in place on Russian passenger aircraft.

"I am introducing this draft resolution bearing in mind the growing threat and the number of terrorist acts carried out on board of aircrafts in the OSCE region. It proposes necessary technical means through equipping aircraft with photographic and audio-visual monitoring equipment that will allow for for ground personnel to conduct video monitoring of conditions on board in real time," Nikolay Kovalev, who is also Russian Special Representative on Anti-Terrorism said on the sidelines of the ongoing OSCE PA annual meeting in Tbilisi.

Kovalev believes that this resolution will be adopted by OSCE PA during the ongoing session as no amendments to the document have been made.

"I have sent written requests to manufacturers such as Aerobus and Boeing calling on them to give close attention to the problem of the vulnerability of passenger aircraft to terrorist attacks and asking them to determine the cost and technical capabilities. So far, they have not answered, but I hope that they will respond in the near future, as the manufacturers assured me that they will look into it," he added.

If the draft resolution is adopted, the next step would be to begin elaborating, without delay, the legal basis for the practical implementation of this initiative locally in the OSCE member-states, he added.

The OSCE is the world’s largest regional security organization made up of 57 nations. The Parliamentary Assembly connects the parliaments of the OSCE member nations.