16:00, 18 June 2011

Azerbaijan: Russia to pay more for the Gabala Radar Station

Russia and Azerbaijan conduct negotiations about renewing the conditions of the lease agreement for the Gabala Radar Station, said Grigory Karasin, the Secretary of State, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation.

Term of the agreement on the use of the Radar Station expires in 2012; however, according Sergei Lavrov, the Foreign Minister of Russia, Russia intends to continue using the Gabala Radar Station in Azerbaijan after that date as well.

"As far as the Gabala Radar Station, which was built in Soviet times and is a significant military objective, is concerned, the Russian Federation was paying 10 million US dollars per year," said Mr Karasin answering to the Russian State Duma Deputies' questions on June 17, the "1news.az" reported.

Araz Azimov, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, believes that the Russian Federation intends to extend the lease of the Gabala Radar Station. "The Russians want to renew the lease. We are ready to consider this partnership, but its terms should be revised. Russia should pay more," the "Novosti-Azerbaijan" quotes Mr Asimov's speech.