Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said Wednesday that a third party is unlikely to use the Gabala radar station, a giant facility in north-west Azerbaijan whose operation by neighboring Russia has been halted, according to local media.

The halt of Russia's exploitation of the Gabala facility was announced by Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry on Monday.

Mammadyarov said that the Azerbaijani ministry has not yet received offers from other countries on use of the Gabala radar.

"The Gabala radar station has its own peculiarities, and I do not think that any country has the desire to rent it," the minister said. He added that it's too early to speak about how the station will be used in the future.

Mammadyarov also said the Azerbaijani government will set up a commission to remove equipment from the Gabala radar station in the near future.

Azerbaijani Defense Ministry spokesman Eldar Sabiroglu said on Wednesday that Azerbaijan intended to continue cooperation with Russia on operating the Gabala radar station, but the amount offered was too small and Russia did not agree with the new proposal, the Baku-based Trend news agency reported.

According to Sabiroglu, there is no political motive for Moscow's turning down the lease of the Gabala radar station.

He also said the future of the radar station will be determined by the Azerbaijani government.

"Gabala region today has become a resort area, and the radar occupies a fairly large territory," he said, adding that the area will be used for tourism purposes.

Deputy chairman of the ruling Yeni (New) Azerbaijan Party (YAP), MP Ali Ahmadov said that Russia's turning down lease of the Gabala radar station will have no negative impact on the country's relations with Azerbaijan.

Ahmadov said the refusal to further operate the Gabala radar station was a decision made in line with normal negotiations between the two countries. If this decision was taken on the basis of a mutual agreement, this cannot be a source of tension.

As for Azerbaijan's exploitation of the Gabala radar station, Ahmadov said that if necessary a conclusion will be made by relevant experts.

YAP deputy executive secretary, MP Mubariz Gurbanli said there is talk of converting the Gabala radar station into a research center.

"In any case, relevant Azerbaijani government agencies as well as experts will express their opinions and formulate a decision on this issue," Gurbanli said. He said the future of the Gabala radar station will be determined as a result of these opinions and decisions.

"But if you want to know my personal opinion, I would like to see it become a research center in the future," he added.

Gurbanli also expressed his concern over the possibility of the issue causing tension in the relations between Russia and Azerbaijan, adding that such tension could not be allowed to take root.

"Russia calculated its income and expenses, and arrived at the decision to turn down use of Gabala. And we, Azerbaijan, treat this decision with respect. This question in any case cannot lead and will not lead to deterioration of relations between Azerbaijan and Russia," Gurbanli said.

The Russian side has delivered a note on halting the exploitation of the Gabala radar station as of December 10, 2012 in connection with the expiration a day earlier of the relevant agreement with the Azerbaijani government.

On Tuesday the Russian Foreign Ministry formally confirmed halting the use of the facility, RIA Novosti news agency reported.

A Russian military source recently said that the decision on the suspension of Russia's exploitation of the Gabala radar station in Azerbaijan is prompted, first of all, by the absence of a need for its practical use and that new generation radar stations of Voronezh type are now available that could replace the outdated Gabala radar station, RIA Novosti reported.

"All the tasks that were previously vested in the Gabala radar station can be assumed by the new generation radar Voronezh-DM, a missile warning system created by technology of high operational compatibility in Armavir, Krasnodar province," said the source at the Russian Ministry of Defense.

The Gabala radar station was built as one of the most important elements of the USSR's missile defense system. After Azerbaijan gained independence, the radar station became the country's property but Russia continued to use it.

Previously, the Russian Defense Ministry said it was in talks with Azerbaijan to extend the lease of the radar station until 2025.