Berlin Views Open Skies Treaty as European Security Pillar Amid US Planned Exit - Ministry
The German government views the Open Skies Treaty as one of the key pillars of European security, Foreign Ministry spokesman Cristofer Burger said on Wednesday, commenting on the US plans to leave the agreement
US President Donald Trump was reported last month to be on the verge of pulling his country out of the Open Skies Treaty, which was signed in 1992 and went into effect a decade later. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas warned US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a letter, dated October 18, that the pact was "one of the last working trust-building mechanisms between Europe and Russia," according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung daily.
"The issues related to the Open Skies Treaty are very important for us, this is one of the pillars of the European security system, an important element of building trust between Europe, Russia and the United States," Burger said at a press briefing.
He added that Germany was eager to preserve the agreement.
Burger also failed to answer the question of whether Berlin would try to persuade Pompeo on the need to preserve the treaty during his upcoming visit to Germany.
The Open Skies Treaty allows parties to carry out aerial surveillance through scheduled observation flights over each participating state. More than 30 countries are participating in the program, which was created to boost the transparency of military activities.