Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend S.Agayeva / Elmar Mammadyarov, the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister, stated in Baku on the 8th of June that Azerbaijan is prepared to commence consultations on the joint use of the Gabala radar station in bilateral and trilateral formats. He commented on the proposal made by the Russian President Vladimir Putin on the 7th of June on the joint use of the Gabala radar station with the United States.
"This topic was discussed a long time ago", he said. During the recent visit the Russian foreign minister came out with this initiative... Azerbaijan holds a position based on national interests.
The Azerbaijani foreign minister also voiced their confidence that this issue would not raise tensions among Azerbaijan's relations with other countries.
Mammadyarov stressed it is too premature to speak about reconsideration for the terms of rent of the Gabala radar station. "In general, it might lead to stability in the region," the foreign minister emphasized.
Russia is currently leasing the Gabala Radio Radar Station in Azerbaijan. The station is part of the Russian system tracking movement of the ballistic missiles. The station had been constructed during the rule of the former Soviet Union as one of the significant elements of the anti-missile system of the USSR. After Azerbaijan regained its independence and owned the station, Russia offered to use it. A ten-year agreement to rent the station was signed only in 2002. At the end of 2004 the Ministry of Ecology stated on its intention of monitoring into the impact of electro-magnetic radiation on both nature and human health. Different local ecologic organizations urge that electro-magnetic radiation coming out from Gabala RS has a negative impact on the environment and human health.