What is Treaty on Open Skies recently in news?

The US President Donald Trump recently announced that USA is to withdraw from Open Skies treaty.

About the Treaty

• The Treaty on Open Skies was signed in 2002. 
• The treaty established an aerial surveillance system for its participants. 
• There are 34 members that signed the treaty. 
• Both US and Russia are signatories of the treaty.

Key Features of the treaty

• The treaty establishes an region of unarmed aerial observation. 
• The observation is allowed over the territories of the signatories. 
• It enhances mutual understanding and gives confidence to all participants.
• The treaty is considered as one of the most wide-ranging arms control effort that promotes transparency and openness amongst military forces.

What is the issue?

• The US President has announced withdrawal from the treaty accusing that Russia has not stuck to its part of the deal. 
• This is the third international arms pact the US has pulled out from since Donald Trump became the president.
• The US also claims that Russia in the intention of annexing Crimean peninsula has designated an Open Skies refueling airfield in the region.

Signatory countries

• The signatory countries of the treaty include UK, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Finland, Portugal, Sweden, Turkey, Belgium, Belarus, Croatia, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Czech republic, Estonia, Denmark, Georgia, Finland, Russia, Iceland, Hungary, Slovakia, Russia, Ukraine and Slovenia.
• Kyrgyzstan is the only country that has not ratified the treaty

India

• India has similar treaty with Japan. 
• India and Japan signed open sky agreement in 2017. 
• India signed the agreement in accordance with National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016.