OTTAWA – Canadian Forces personnel participated in a historic flight with Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg over Bosnia-Herzegovina on 20 August 2008 aboard a Belgian aircraft, which undertook the 500th observation mission conducted under the Open Skies Treaty, which promotes openness and transparency among its signatories.
"The participative role that we are fulfilling during this particular mission and others like it, not only allows us to actively contribute to the mission, but also re-enforces Canada's support for the Open Skies Treaty as a multi-lateral, cooperative endeavor" said Major John Nowak, mission team leader.
The treaty formally entered-into-force January 2002 and is designed to enhance trust, confidence and collective understanding by providing all participating states with the means through which to obtain information on military or other activities of interest or concern to them. Open Skies is one of the most wide-ranging international treaty mechanisms established to date designed to foster openness and transparency of military forces and their activities.
Canada is an active participant in the international proliferation security regime and is a signatory to several treaties dedicated to the elimination, reduction and control of weapons of mass destruction and conventional arms. The Open Skies Treaty illustrates Canada's commitment to developing greater openness and trust amongst states and lowering the potential for conflict.
For more information about the Open Skies Treaty, the OSCC, and the observation flights, please see: http://www.osce.org/about/13516.html
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