Azernews.Az

MOSCOW – Russia and Azerbaijan are in talks "to modernize the terms of the Gabala radar station lease agreement," said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin, Interfax reported.

"As regards the Gabala radar station, which was built in the Soviet period and represents a critical defense facility, the Russian Federation was paying $10 million [per annum for its lease]," Karasin told the State Duma on Friday.

"Today talks focus on modernizing the [lease] terms," he said.

Russia's desire to extend the Gabala radar lease and raise its significance amid growing international tensions makes it necessary to review the agreement terms, Azeri Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov said earlier.

The Gabala radar station is an important element of the Russian missile-defense system: the station provides early warning on possible ballistic missile attacks from the south. The station lease expires in August 2012.

Russia has earlier proposed to the U.S. a joint use of the Gabala radar to control the southern direction instead of building a third missile launch site in the Czech Republic as part of the U.S. missile-defense system.