Azerbaijani authorities demand higher rental fee for Gabala RS

Russia's payments for renting the Gabala Radar Station (RS) are not adequate to the value of the station and the risks of Azerbaijan, said Araz Azimov, Deputy Foreign Minister.

"The today's payments of Russia in the volume of 7 million US dollars per year for leasing the Gabala RS, which bears the status of an information-analytical centre are inadequate," said Azimov in his comment on Azerbaijan's intention to raise the rental fee for using the Gabala RS.

"On the one hand, the payments are inadequate to the value and importance of the RS for Russia's interests, and regional and international security. On the other hand, the payments are not equal to the threats and risks of Azerbaijan, which allows the RS to operate in its territory," said the diplomat and noted that in view of the foregoing, the rental fee should be increased several times, the "Interfax" reports.

In its turn, the Russian party insists on preserving the earlier fee. "We'd like to pay as earlier; however, we plan to drastically reduce the occupied territory," - said Anatoly Serdyukov, the Russian Defence Minister. "With the new design of the RS, we have no need of earlier volumes of territory, communications and engineering infrastructure. We'll need less water and electricity."

Negotiations go on; a working group was set up including officials not only of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), but also of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the "Kommersant" writes.