MINSK. Nov 23 (Interfax) - Belarus regrets the U.S. withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty and hopes that the U.S. administration may still reconsider its decision.
"The U.S. decision to quit the Open Skies Treaty took effect on November 22, 2020. Belarus deeply regrets this move of the U.S. side," the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website on Monday.
Hopefully, "the American administration will show political wisdom and will reconsider its decision in the near future," the ministry said.
"We have no doubt that the United States' return to the Open Skies community will not just strengthen the security of all participatory states of the Open Skies Treaty but will also help rebuild the atmosphere of confidence on the Euro-Atlantic space," the ministry said.
The ministry pointed out that the United States was one of the key participants in the treaty and made a meaningful contribution to its successful implementation. "Washington's withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty erodes the latter's viability and leads to further growth of mistrust and military-political tensions. The Euro-Atlantic security architecture and arms control instruments incur serious damage," the ministry said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 21 he had decided to quit the Open Skies Treaty. The United States left the treaty six months after it formally notified the partners of doing so.
The United States finalized its withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty in the early hours of November 22.