Open Skies TreatyBureau of Verification, Compliance, and ImplementationWashington, DC Preamble The States concluding this Treaty, hereinafter referred to collectively as the States Parties or individually as a State Party, Recalling the commitments they have made in the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe to promoting greater openness and transparency in their military activities and to enhancing security by means of confidence- and security-building measures, Welcoming the historic events in Europe which have transformed the security situation from Vancouver to Vladivostok, Wishing to contribute to the further development and strengthening of peace, stability and co-operative security in that area by the creation of an Open Skies regime for aerial observation, Recognizing the potential contribution which an aerial observation regime of this type could make to security and stability in other regions as well, Noting the possibility of employing such a regime to improve openness and transparency, to facilitate the monitoring of compliance with existing or future arms control agreements and to strengthen the capacity for conflict prevention and crisis management in the framework of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe and in other relevant international institutions, Envisaging the possible extension of the Open Skies regime into additional fields, such as the protection of the environment, Seeking to establish agreed procedures to provide for aerial observation of all the territories of States Parties, with the intent of observing a single State Party or groups of States Parties, on the basis of equity and effectiveness while maintaining flight safety, Noting that the operation of such an Open Skies regime will be without prejudice to States not participating in it, Have agreed as follows:
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