Azerbaijan's Gabala radar station (RS) will not become US's missile shield element in case it is agreed to be used jointly by Russia and US, the first deputy head of the Russian Space Forces staff, Major-General Alexander Yakushin, said to journalists on 15 September.
"The core of our proposal is no to become US's missile shield element, but to suspend US's work on placement of its anti-missile defence system in Europe to hold a full-scale and complex estimation of the threats coming from south and to undertake measures on counteraction to possible threats. We intend to use Gabala RS exclusively in international interests," Yakushin said. Russian side understands organization of anti-missile defence by other countries, but does not agree with the actions threatening its national security, RBK quotes.
Russian-US consultations on placement of missile shield elements and on joint use of Gabala RS in Azerbaijan will take place in Baku on 18 September 2007.
Within the framework of the G-8 summit on 7 June 2007, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, offered US joint exploitation of Gabala Radar Station. He noted the advantage of deployment of Anti-Missile Defence (AMD) elements in Azerbaijan rather in Poland and the Czech Republic. Putin indicated that Gabala Radar Station will enable detection and crack down on rival missiles in the first section of boost trajectory. The remains of the missiles will fall not on European cities but into the sea, which is of great importance, Putin stressed. Later Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that Putin's offer did not imply Iran has nuclear weapons.
Gabala Radar Station situated in the north-west of Azerbaijan was built while the USSR as an important element of the USSR AMD. The 10-year agreement on leasing of the station was signed in 2002. Annual rent charges make up $14mln.