The Gabala radar station, that Russia proposed to jointly use with the United States, cannot be used as an additional installation of elements of Anti-Missile Defense by the United States in Poland and Czech Republic, Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, stated at the 62nd UN General Assembly in New York.
"We welcome ongoing talks between our diplomats and the military, though we cannot be satisfied with the US intention of using the Gabala Radar as a third supplement to the US position area in Europe," RIA-Novosti cited the minister, Лента reports.
Lavrov said that the United States is well aware that our proposals were not made as a makeweight to their plans, because we do not view anything rational in their plan from the aspect of the threat which is put forward as a key task for their neutralization. "Our proposals were made as a wise alternative, which can really establish strategic cooperation between the United States and Russian and Europe. Europe should be attracted obligatorily. The contacts are continuing," the Russian foreign minister stressed.
The Russian President Vladimir Putin offered US President George W Bush the use Gabala Radar Station in Azerbaijan as an alternative to a placement of AMD elements in the States, in Poland and the Czech Republic. Visiting the Gabala radar station the US military stated that the radar station built during the Soviet period cannot replace the AMD radar which is planned for construction in Czech Republic.
General Henry Obering, head of the US AMD Agency, stated that the Gabala Radar having a considerable viewing corner can be used for early detection of missiles launched from Iran, but unfit for target instructions for missile-interceptors, and stressed the need to construct a radar in the Czech Republic with less range and restricted observation, but high precision.