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Russia Asks Parties to Open Skies Treaty to Guarantee Secrecy of Observation Flights Data

VIENNA (Sputnik) - With the United States withdrawn from the Treaty on Open Skies, Russia demands that the remaining parties to the agreement guarantee the confidentiality of data received during observation flights, the Russian Arms Control Delegation in Vienna said Monday.
Sputnik
"At the #OSCC [Open Skies Consultative Commission] 83d session final meeting the [Russian] delegation has drawn attention to the problem of protecting data received during observation flights. With the [US withdrawing] from #OST the pS have to provide written confirmation of compliance w/obligation to guarantee their confidentiality," the delegation tweeted.

The Open Skies Treaty was signed in 1992 and became effective ten years later. It allows 34 participating countries to conduct unarmed observation flights over each other's territories.

In May, US President Donald Trump declared that Washington was pulling out of the treaty and would not rejoin it "until they [Russia] adhere." The US completed the process of exiting the deal in late November.

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