Azerbaijan, Baku / corr. Trend K.Ramazanova / "The Russian Government has not yet invited us to visit Gabala. As I mentioned earlier, there will be expert-level consultations at the end of this month, and if they invite us, we'll consider it at the time," said the Acting Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs, Stephen D Mull, at a press conference in Washington.
On 7 June, as a result of a meeting with the US President George Bush, during the G-8 summit in Heiligendamm, Germany, Putin highlighted his proposal to jointly use the Russian-leased Azerbaijani Gabala Radar Station with the US. In response to plans of the US to establish a missile-defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic, the Russian President highlighted the key advantage of such an approach. During their recent meeting, the Presidents of USA and Russia reached an agreement to organize and hold a meeting of the US-Russian working group on the missile defense system.
During the joint press conference with the Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Araz Azimov, Mull said that it is not known yet where and at what level the US and Russian experts will meet. In addition, commenting on the proposal of the Russian President, Mull stressed that the USA does not accept that Gabala is a substitute for plans that the USA are already pursuing with its Czech and Polish allies.
"We believe that those installations are necessary for the security of our interests in Europe, and both of those countries agree and the entire NATO alliance agrees. We're still going to go ahead with the installation on those sites," he said.
In turn, Azimov said that proceeding from the initiative of the Russian President, Azerbaijan is becoming an interested partner because the station is the property of Azerbaijan.
Russia leases the Gabala Radar Station in Azerbaijan. The station is part of the Russian system for tracking movement of ballistic missiles. The station, constructed during the former Soviet regime, was one of the USSR's significant components in its anti-missile system. After Azerbaijan regained its independence and took ownership of the station, Russia offered to rent it. A ten-year lease was signed only in 2002.
According to Azimov, these conditions already prescribe Azerbaijan's interest to the issue. "Maybe this is one of reasons why we consult with both sides, with the Russian Federation and with the United States. That is another issue of reaction of the United States to the proposal of President Putin and if this reaction will serve a basis for continued follow-up and if both sides will maintain these discussions, then Azerbaijan will probably be further engaged," he said.
Answering the question if Baku intends to present legal obstacles to prevent the joint use of the station by Russia and the USA, Azimov replied that a current legal framework is being established by agreement between Azerbaijan and Russia. "So for the time being, I don't see any legal obstacles for whatever because there is no subject for (inaudible). When there shall be a subject, then we shall consider a possible new legal framework," Azimov said.