Azernews.Az

BAKU – A senior US military official has said the United States may resume talks with Azerbaijan on operating the Russian-leased radar station in the country’s northern regions.

Azerbaijan signed a 10-year agreement in 2002 on leasing the Gabala radar station to Russia. In 2007 Russia offered to the U.S. joint use of the giant radar as an alternative to the Bush administration's planned European missile shield, aimed largely to ward off a potential threat from Iran. Washington rejected the proposal, saying the Gabala facility would not be useful.

Andrew Shapiro, US Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, said missile defense issues were on agenda during US-Azerbaijan security talks held in Baku earlier on Friday.

"Let me remind you that we are in talks with Russia on the same topic," he said. "At this point we are holding discussions on missile defense systems, and it is possible that we will discuss the Gabala radar station in the future as well."

Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov said the Gabala radar station is a crucial facility both in terms of its location and ensuring Russia’s security.

"On the other hand, Russia and the U.S. are currently holding talks on missile defense security," Azimov said. "Mr. Shapiro informed us of that today. We will continue negotiating."

The Gabala radar station, which was launched in 1985, is part of a ring of early warning radar stations built during the Cold War. Some of the facilities are in ex-Soviet republics, forcing Moscow to seek agreements on their use or abandon them, and to begin building new radars inside Russia.