A group of Turkish and U.S. inspectors will make a joint observation flight over Russia in line with the international Open Skies Treaty, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday.
The inspection will be carried out on May 2-5 on board a Casa CN-235 transport aircraft.
“The aircraft and equipment on its board have undergone the necessary international certification procedure that Russian representatives also took part in,” the ministry said in a statement.
The flight will follow a route coordinated with Russian specialists.
The Open Skies Treaty, signed in 1992 on an initiative of U.S. President George H.W. Bush, established a regime of unarmed aerial observation flights over the territories of its 34 member states to promote openness and the transparency of military forces and activities.
The treaty entered into force on January 1, 2002 and its regime covers the national territories (land, islands, and internal and territorial waters) of all the treaty signatory states. It is an important element of the European security structure.
