From Mail-Server@lex-luthor.ai.mit.edu  Sat Aug  7 22:43:36 1993
To: Clinton-News-Distribution@campaign92.org,
Date: Sat, 7 Aug 1993 21:41-0400
From: The White House <75300.3115@compuserve.com>
Subject: Statement on Open Sky Treaty  8/7/93

                         THE WHITE HOUSE

                  Office of the Press Secretary
_________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release                              August 7, 1993

                  State by the Press Secretary

Last night, the Senate gave its unanimous advice and consent to 
the ratification of the Open Skies Treaty.  The Administration 
applauds the Senate's decision on this important agreement.

The Treaty on Open Skies represents the broadest and most 
flexible effort to date to promote openness and transparency of 
military forces and activities.  Present signatories include all 
NATO Allies, the East European members of the former Warsaw Pact, 
Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan.

The Treaty on Open Skies will give all participants an agreed way 
to gather information about foreign military forces and 
activities of concern to them.  Under the Treaty, each 
participating state may conduct a limited number of unarmed 
flights anywhere over the territory of the other participants, 
using approved photographic, radar, and infrared sensors to make 
and record observations.  The information from all Open Skies 
observations will be made available to all participants.  This 
innovative combination of breadth of coverage, flexibility of 
use, and availability of information enables the Open Skies 
regime to make a unique contribution to building confidence and 
enhancing stability. 

The Open Skies concept was first put forward by President 
Eisenhower in 1955, and then revived in a Treaty proposal by 
President Bush in 1989.  It was signed by twenty-five nations on 
March 24, 1992.  

The United States looks forward to early ratification of the 
Treaty by all signatories and its early entry into force.  The 
United States also welcomes the participation in the Treaty of 
additional states which want to further its goals of openness and 
transparency.   

                              -30-

