03-02-2012 12:15:42

Russia aims to wrap up talks on Azeri radar lease by June

Russia’s defense ministry aims to complete its talks with Azerbaijan on extending the lease of the country’s missile early-warning radar by June, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov was quoted by the Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper as saying.

Antonov said the term of the ten-year lease agreement on the Gabala radar station ends in December 2012 and a new deal must be signed six months before its expiry. A delegation of Azerbaijani officials is due to visit Moscow within the next two weeks to continue negotiations on the issue.

Commenting on progress in the ongoing talks, the Russian deputy defense minister said, “I see no problems in the solution of this issue, we have all the necessary instructions from our governments, and the remaining matters are merely of technical nature.”

Azerbaijan demands a higher price for leasing the radar station and to increase its military staff there. 
The Gabala radar station in northwestern Azerbaijan was built as one of anti-missile elements of the Soviet missile shield. After Azerbaijan gained independence, the radar station became the country's property but Russia continued to operate the facility.

The Gabala radar station allows to track territory spanning 6,000 km, including Iran, Turkey, India, the Middle East, as well as the Indian Ocean and a part of the Australian continent. The early warning equipment would immediately track mid-range missiles with nuclear warheads potentially launched from these territories.

TAGS: Russia, Azerbaijan, Anatoly Antonov, Gabala radar station, Iran, Turkey, India, Middle East