Showing posts with label OPEN SKIES AIR TRANSPORT AGREEMENT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label OPEN SKIES AIR TRANSPORT AGREEMENT. Show all posts

Friday, May 31, 2013

U.S., SAUDI ARABIA SIGN OPENS SKIES AGREEMENT

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
United States and Saudi Arabia Sign Open Skies Air Transport Agreement
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
May 28, 2013

 

Today in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, U.S. Ambassador James B. Smith and Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Director of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, Dr. Faisal bin Hamad Al-Sugair, signed an Open Skies air transport agreement.

The United States-Saudi Arabia Open Skies agreement will, following a transition period, permit unrestricted air service by the airlines of both countries between and beyond the other’s territory, eliminating restrictions on how often the carriers fly, the kind of aircraft they use and the prices they charge. This agreement will allow for the strengthening and expansion of our strong trade and tourism links with Saudi Arabia, benefitting U.S. and Saudi Arabian businesses and travelers by expanding opportunities for air services and encouraging vigorous price competition by airlines, while preserving our commitments to aviation safety and security. It has been applied on the basis of comity and reciprocity since it was initialed on April 18, 2011.

The United States has over 100 Open Skies agreements with partners around the world and at all levels of development.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

U.S- SIERRA LEONE RELATIONS AND A NEW OPEN SKIES AGREEMENT

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

United States and Sierra Leone Sign Open Skies Air Transport Agreement
Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
September 10, 2012
On September 10 in Washington, DC, Under Secretary Robert Hormats and Sierra Leone’s Minister of Aviation and Transportation Vandi Chidi Minah signed an Open Skies air services agreement that will formalize the liberalization of our bilateral aviation relationship. The United States and Sierra Leone initialed the agreement in June 2012, and it has been applied via comity and reciprocity since that time.

The Open Skies Agreement entered into force upon signature.

The Open Skies Agreement establishes a liberalized aviation relationship between the United States and Sierra Leone. It creates opportunities for strengthening the economic partnership between the United States and Sierra Leone through closer links in transport and trade.

Open Skies agreements permit unrestricted air service by the airlines of both countries between and beyond the other’s territory, eliminating restrictions on how often the carriers fly, the kind of aircraft they use and the prices they charge. This agreement will allow for the strengthening and expansion of our strong trade and tourism links with Sierra Leone, benefitting U.S. and Sierra Leonean businesses and travelers by expanding opportunities for air services and encouraging vigorous price competition by airlines, while preserving our commitments to aviation safety and security.

The United States has over 100 Open Skies agreements with partners around the world and at all levels of development.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON SIERRA LEONE

U.S.-SIERRA LEONE RELATIONS
The United States established diplomatic relations with Sierra Leone in 1961, following its independence from the United Kingdom. U.S.-Sierra Leone relations are cordial. About 2% of Sierra Leone's population are Krio, the descendants of freed slaves who returned to Sierra Leone beginning in the late 1700s from Great Britain and North America and from slave ships captured on the high seas. Many thousands of Sierra Leoneans reside in the United States.

Sierra Leone's brutal 1991-2002 civil war destroyed infrastructure and truncated political, social, and economic development. The country has made substantial progress in transitioning from a post-conflict nation to a developing democracy that has made notable economic gains. It also is emerging as one of the most stable countries in a volatile region. Most notably, it now contributes significantly to United Nations peacekeeping operations, including the UN Mission to Darfur (UNAMID). It will deploy a U.S.-trained battalion to the AU Peace Support Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) later this year. The government also has passed one of Africa’s toughest anti-corruption laws, made high-profile arrests, and secured convictions in a majority of its prosecutions. Despite this, Sierra Leone continues to grapple with entrenched corruption, poor health conditions, weak governmental institutions, high unemployment, slow economic growth, abject poverty, and inadequate social services. The next presidential and parliamentary elections will be held November 17, 2012.

Sierra Leone relies on significant amounts of foreign assistance, principally from multilateral donors; the United States is among the largest bilateral donors. The United States is the largest single donor to the Special Court for Sierra Leone, which has pursued cases against those most responsible for violations of humanitarian law during the country's civil war.

U.S. Assistance to Sierra Leone
U.S. development assistance programs seek to support elections and political processes, create livelihood opportunities, improve food security and nutrition, augment civic participation, and build capacity for both rural and urban health service delivery. U.S. security assistance aims to help Sierra Leone build a more professional and apolitical Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces that will also be capable of supporting peacekeeping in Africa as well as fighting drug trafficking and smuggling.

Bilateral Economic Relations
U.S. exports to Sierra Leone include transportation equipment, agricultural products, machinery, and chemicals, while its imports from Sierra Leone include minerals, metals, machinery, and agricultural products. Sierra Leone is eligible for preferential trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act. The two countries do not have a bilateral investment treaty or taxation treaty. On June 26, 2012, negotiators for both countries initialed the text of a new air transport agreement that, upon entry into force, will establish an Open Skies aviation relationship.

Sierra Leone's Membership in International Organizations
Sierra Leone and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization.

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