Azerbaijan, Baku, 28 November / Trend , corr. J.Babayeva /"The proposals on joint use of the Gabala radar station (GRS) are still included into the agenda," Vasiliy Istratov, the Russian ambassador to Azerbaijan, said to journalists on 28 November.
According to the ambassador, the continuation of discussions on the issue depends on the both sides- Russia and the United States.
Moscow proposed to connect up 'Russian opportunities', for example, the radar station in Gabala, which Russia rents from Azerbaijan, to the U.S. missile shield system.
While addressing Council for International Relations, authoritative scientific-research non-governmental organization in Washington, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev stated once again that Russia is not going to take counter measures in a response to the US plans to create missile shield first of all, ITAR-TASS reported. "We do not want to install anything at all," Medvedev said.
He noted that the intentions of deploying radar tracking station in Czechia and 10 interceptors in Poland are not "our invention". "From the very start, our position was to come to agreement with Americans," Medvedev said. The Gabala radar station, which is located in the north-west of Azerbaijan, was constructed during the Soviet period as one of the important element systems of the former SSSR anti rocket system. Since Azerbaijan obtained independence and the station was transferred to its property, Russia continued the use of the station despite of all troubles that took place in the internal political life of Azerbaijan.
The agreement on the rent of the Gabala radar station was signed in 2002. The issue related the use of the station caused internal political debates including in the Parliament of Azerbaijan. In the beginning of 2006, Azerbaijan raised the issue on double increase of rent for use of the station from $7mln to $14.4mln per year.
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