Under the Treaty on Open Skies / Open Skies, in the period July 15-19 the Russian Federation carried out an aerial observation flight with Antonov-30B aircraft over Italian territory. The operational activity was conducted from Ciampino airport and covered a large area of the peninsula. A team of national experts from different defense divisions, operating under the coordination of the Armaments Control and Verification and Counterproliferation Office of the III Department of the Defense Staff, assisted the Russian personnel throughout their stay on Italian territory, guaranteeing the fulfillment of national obligations and constantly monitoring the correct observance of the procedures provided for by the Treaty.
The activity was carried out according to the established times and methods, in a spirit of active collaboration with foreign guests and allowed us to confirm the validity of the by now consolidated organization responsible for the management of this kind of events.
At the same time as carrying out the activity in question, again within the framework of the Treaty on Open Skies / Open Skies, a team of Italian and British inspectors went to the Russian Federation to conduct similar aerial observation activities over the western portion of the country. This activity also ended successfully, helping to promote transparency and mutual trust between the intervening countries, in full harmony with the spirit of the Treaty.
The Open Skies / Open Skies Treaty, signed in Helsinki in 1992, together with the Conventional Forces Europe Treaty (CFE) and the Vienna Document constitutes one of the pillars of conventional arms control and allows the reciprocal carrying out of air observation missions on the territories of the part adherents.
