Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr. К.Ramazanova / The Azerbaijani Foreign Minister, Elmar Mammadyarov, said time was necessary for the experts of Russia, the US, and Azerbaijan to come to certain conclusions on the joint use of the Gabala Radar Station. Presently, the parties have obtained more detailed information about the station.
Experts from Russia, the US and Azerbaijan will become familiar with the technical capacity of Gabala Radar Station for joint use.
The decision to hold trilateral consultations was made within the framework of the G-8 summit on 7 June 2007, when the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, offered the US joint-operation of the Gabala Radar Station. He noted the advantages of deployment of an Anti-Missile Defense (AMD) system in Azerbaijan rather than in Poland or the Czech Republic. Mammadyarov noted than negotiations on trilateral use of the Gabala Radar Station will be continued.
Henry Obering, the head of the Agency on Anti-Missile Defense of the US, said that the radar station in Gabala may be used for observation of missiles launched by Iran but is useless when it comes to exact defining of the core of the missile.
Sergei Kislak, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, said the Gabala Radar Station was not to be additional to US AMD . The proposal by Russia should be considered as an alternative to the US's plans on allocation of its Anti-Missile Defense in Poland and Czech Republic.
The Russian Armed Forces use the Daryal Radar Station situated in the territory of Azerbaijan on the basis of an agreement reached between both countries in 25 January 2002. In compliance with the agreement the station is considered Azerbaijani property. The fee for leasing the station is $7mln per year.
The Gabala Radar Station, situated in the north-west of Azerbaijan, was built while the USSR was an important element of the USSR AMD. The ten-year agreement on leasing of the station was signed in 2002. Annual rent charges come to $14mln.