Details added (the first version was posted at 12:03)
Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec.30 / Trend, S.Agayeva /
By the order of the Cabinet of Ministers, a commission has been set up to carry out activities related to the closure of the Gabala radar station, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said in an interview with Azerbaijani and foreign media outlets.
He said the commission, headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov, will carry out activities on inventory of movable and immovable property, transfer of property of the station staff and their families, as well as their personal property.
He said Daryal-type radar station, which is located in Azerbaijan's Gabala region and was commissioned in 1985, was one of eight stations of missile defense complex of the former Soviet Union.
"According to the agreement, signed between the two countries in 2002 after Azerbaijan restored independence, which allowed Russia to lease the station, the radar station was leased to this country in 2012, in fact, for a symbolic price," Mammadyarov said.
"Due to the fact that on Dec.9, 2012 "Agreement between the Government of Azerbaijan and the Russian Government on the status, principles and conditions of use of the Gabala radar" lost validity, Russia sent a note to the Azerbaijani side on stopping operation of the station from Dec.10, 2012. From this point view, the station stopped its operation from this date," he said.
"Of course, in recent years, discussions have been constantly held between the parties at the level of experts in connection with the extension of the lease term of Gabala radar station," Mammadyarov said.
He said the parties acted based on their interests in the consultations.
"Azerbaijan has demonstrated a constructive position on this matter and tried to address this issue. However, no agreement has been reached during negotiations in relation to the cost of the lease. Our goal was raising cooperation associated with this station to the level of today's requirements, cooperate with Russia within conditions existing at the international level, and a relevant proposal was made to Russian side," he said.