Pentagon: Russia Should Work With US, OSCE to Update Security Measures

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The Russian authorities should cooperate with the United States under the framework of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on updating security-building measures outlined in the Vienna Document of 2011, US Department of Defense spokesperson Michelle Baldanza told Sputnik on Thursday.

"We welcome Russian interest in pursuing military transparency and risk reduction to improve safety, especially in the wake of recent unsafe and unprofessional Russian activities," Baldanza stated. "We urge Russia to work with us in the OSCE to update the Vienna Document in 2016."

The 2011 Vienna Document on confidence-building measures was adopted to increase openness and transparency regarding military activities in the OSCE states, according to the US Department of State.

On July 2, the Russian Defense Ministry said that its experts are ready to discuss with their NATO counterparts the use of flight transponder equipment in military flights over the Baltic Sea if the alliance is willing to implement such measures.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has given orders to devise a system of mutual confidence-building measures that will increase military aviation safety in the Baltic, the ministry added, noting that these measures include the use of transponders by Russian military jets.

Flight transponders are used in aviation to identify planes from the ground.