OPEN SKIES TREATY (OST)

May 23, 2020

The U.S. has given notice that it will exit the Open Skies Treaty (OST), on the ground that Russia had “continuously and flagrantly” violated the treaty. U.S. President Donald Trump said the deal could be amended or a new one could be made.

About:

Open Skies Treaty (OST) is an agreement that allows countries to monitor signatories’ arms development by conducting unarmed reconnaissance surveillance flights over the territory of treaty countries.
The treaty was signed in 1992 and entered into force on January 1, 2002.
Currently 34 states are party to the treaty while a 35th, Kyrgyzstan, has signed but not ratified it. India is not its signatory.
The Open Skies Consultative Commission is the implementing body for the Treaty on Open Skies. It comprises representatives from each state party to the treaty and meets monthly at the Vienna headquarters of the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe.

Source : The Hindu