Two Congressmen Say Biden Must Reverse US Withdrawal From Open Skies Treaty Soon

Two Congressmen Say Biden Must Reverse US Withdrawal From Open Skies Treaty Soon

The administration of presumed President-elect Joe Biden should reverse the United States' pullout from the Open Skies Treaty as soon as possible, US Congressmen Eliot Engel and William Keating said in a statement on Monday

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd November, 2020) The administration of presumed President-elect Joe Biden should reverse the United States' pullout from the Open Skies Treaty as soon as possible, US Congressmen Eliot Engel and William Keating said in a statement on Monday

The United States' participation in the Open Skies Treaty ended on Sunday, six months after the Trump administration announced its intention to quit the agreement.

"Yesterday, President Trump completed his reckless campaign to withdraw the United States from the Treaty on Open Skies," the statement said. "[T]he incoming administration should begin the process of the United States' rejoining Open Skies as soon as possible, or look for alternative methods to share the critical information that will be lost to the United States and to our allies as a result of this withdrawal."

Engel and Keating pointed out that President Trump never notified Congress of his intent to withdraw the United States from the Open Skied Treaty was obliged to do so 120 days in advance under Section 1234 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020.

The two lawmakers also said there is a strong bipartisan support in the US Congress to achieve effective arms control agreements and expressed hope that the presumed new Biden administration will fix the damage the Trump administration's policies have wrought.

Earlier on Monday, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow regrets the United States' withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty because it considers the accord to be an important part of the arms control system.

The Treaty on Open Skies allows its participants to carry out aerial surveillance as part of a program of scheduled observation flights. More than 30 countries are participating in the program created to boost transparency of military activities.

Trump confirmed the United States' withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty on May 21, citing what he called were violations by Russia and the country's alleged lack of compliance with the accord. Russia has denied all accusations.

Engel is chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee and Keating is chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy, and the Environment.