Russia Hopes For Resumption Of Full Implementation Of Open Skies Treaty - Delegation

Russia hopes for the resumption of the full implementation of the Open Sky Treaty, the Russian delegation at the Open Skies Consultative Commission said Tuesday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th October, 2018) Russia hopes for the resumption of the full implementation of the Open Sky Treaty, the Russian delegation at the Open Skies Consultative Commission said Tuesday.

"Following the adoption of the decision of the Open Skies Consultative Commission on the distribution of active quotas for observation flights in 2019, the Russian delegation considers it necessary to state the following: the Russian side supports this decision and expresses hope for the resumption of the full implementation of the treaty as the observational flights are its key part," the delegation said in a statement.

According to the statement, Russia believes that the reason for the suspension of observation flights for a year was "the rough, unjustifiable violation of obligations" by Georgia, the irresponsible behavior of its patrons, as well as the passivity of a number of other states parties to the treaty.

"Russia could have survived without flying observation missions under the OST, but the continuation of the "no-fly period" would have, sooner or later, lead not only to undermining its viability, but also to losing one of the pillars of European security, to increasing mutual mistrust as well as to dangerous escalation of military-political tensions," the statement said.