[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992-1993, Book II)]
[August 12, 1992]
[Pages 1345-1347]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Message to the Senate Transmitting the Treaty on Open Skies
August 12, 1992

To the Senate of the United States:
    I transmit herewith, for the advice and consent of the Senate to 
ratification, the Treaty on Open Skies. I believe that the Treaty on 
Open Skies is in the best interest of the United States. By engaging all 
participating States actively in cooperative observation, the Treaty on 
Open Skies will strengthen international stability. The Treaty also 
provides an important means of increasing mutual understanding of 
military forces and activities, thus easing tensions and strengthening 
confidence and security, not only in the area covered by the Treaty, but 
in other areas as well.
    The Treaty includes twelve Annexes, which are integral parts 
thereof. The Treaty, together with the Annexes, was signed at Helsinki 
on March 24, 1992. I transmit also, for the information of the Senate, 
the Report of the Department of State on the Treaty.
    In addition, I transmit herewith, for the information of the Senate, 
five documents associated with, but not part of, the Treaty that are 
relevant to the Senate's consider-

[[Page 1346]]

ation of the Treaty: Decision Number One on the Distribution of Costs 
Arising Under the Treaty on Open Skies in accordance with Annex L, 
Section I, paragraph 9, dated June 29, 1992; Decision Number Two on 
Additional Non-Destructive-Testing Equipment To Be Used by the Observed 
Party in accordance with Annex F, Section I, paragraph 7, dated June 29, 
1992; Decision Number Three on Methodology For Calculating the Minimum 
Height Above Ground Level at Which Each Optical Camera Installed on an 
Observation Aircraft May Be Operated During an Observation Flight in 
accordance with Annex D, Appendix 1, Section III, paragraph 2, dated 
June 29, 1992; Decision Number Four on Minimum Camera Specification For 
an Observation Aircraft of an Observed Party Exercising its Right To 
Provide an Observation Aircraft For an Observation Flight, dated June 
29, 1992; and Decision Number Five on Responsibility For the Processing 
of Film Used During an Observation Flight in accordance with Article IX, 
Section II, paragraph 2, dated June 29, 1992. Except for Decision Number 
One on the Distribution of Costs, these Decisions are legally binding.
    The Decision on the Distribution of Costs Arising Under the Open 
Skies Treaty in accordance with Annex L, Section I, paragraph 9 has not 
been adopted by the Open Skies Consultative Commission (the implementing 
body of the Treaty made up of representatives from each State Party and 
the body which adopted the above-mentioned Decisions). The Open Skies 
Consultative Commission will adopt this Decision during its next 
session, scheduled for September 1992, and it will have the same legally 
binding status as the other Decisions. The Open Skies Consultative 
Commission has endorsed the current draft text of the Decision; however, 
agreement could not be reached on the issue of navigation fees which a 
great majority of the States Parties--including the United States--
believe should be waived. Pending resolution of this issue, some States 
Parties--including the United States--have reserved their position on 
other cost issues.
    The Open Skies Treaty establishes a regime of unarmed aerial 
observation flights over the entire territory of its 25 signatories 
(North Atlantic Treaty Organization Allies, Eastern European members of 
the former Warsaw Pact, and Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Georgia). The 
Treaty is designed to enhance mutual understanding and confidence by 
giving all participants, regardless of size, a direct role in observing 
military or other activities of concern to them. Covering territory from 
Vancouver to Vladivostok, Open Skies is the widest-ranging international 
effort to date to promote openness and transparency of military forces 
and activities. The Treaty allows for consensus decisions to improve 
sensors, to adjust quotas, and to admit new participants in order to 
enhance its effectiveness. The Open Skies principles may be applicable 
to States in other regions of the world as well.
    The Treaty's operative provisions focus on four subjects:
    --Territory: The entire territory of all participants will be 
        accessible to aerial observation. Whereas the former Soviet 
        Union had insisted on closing areas for national security 
        reasons, the Treaty provides that only flight safety 
        considerations may restrict the conduct of observation flights.
    --Aircraft: Unarmed fixed-wing aircraft provided by either the 
        observing or observed Party can be used. All Open Skies aircraft 
        and sensors must pass specified certification and inspection 
        procedures to ensure that they meet the standards of the Treaty.
    --Sensors: Open Skies aircraft may have video, panoramic and framing 
        cameras for daylight photography, infra-red line scanners for a 
        day/night capability, and synthetic aperture radar for a day/
        night all-weather capability. Photo-
        graphic image quality will permit recognition of major military 
        equipment, e.g., distinguishing a tank from a truck--allowing 
        significant transparency of military forces and activities. 
        Sensor categories and capabilities can be im-
        proved by agreement among the States Parties. All equipment used 
        in
        Open Skies must be commercially available
        to all participants. Data collected
        from the flights will be immediately

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        shared by the observing and observed Parties, and may also be 
        obtained by other States Parties.
    --Quotas: Loosely scaled to size, each State Party has agreed to an 
        annual quota of observation flights it is willing to receive (42 
        for the United States and Russia/Belarus to 2-4 for the smallest 
        States Parties). States Parties may conduct as many observation 
        flights as they are willing to receive.
    The Treaty establishes an Open Skies Consultative Commission, 
composed of representatives designated by each State Party, to meet in 
Vienna, to promote the objectives and to facilitate the implementation 
of the provisions of the Treaty.
    Therefore, I urge the Senate to give early and favorable 
consideration to the Treaty and its related Annexes, and to give advice 
and consent to its ratification.

                                                             George Bush

The White House,
August 12, 1992.