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ALTERNATIVE TO GABALA?: RUSSIA VIEWS ARMENIAN PREMIER'S OFFER AS A TRUMP CARD IN TALKS WITH BAKU
By Aris Ghazinyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
10.04.12 | 11:15
not pertaining to the topic or containing slander or offensive
language will be deleted. You have to be registered to be able leave
your comment. Sign in or Register now for free.
Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said in an interview to Russian
Kommersant that Armenia is ready to discuss possible construction of a
radar station on its territory similar to Gabala station in Azerbaijan.
The Gabala Radar Station is the main part of Russia's alert system
in case of missile attack and is located near the town of Gabala in
Azerbaijan. It is one of the nine radar stations built in the USSR.
Its detection range is around 8,000 km, which is enough to detect
missiles launched from the area of the Indian Ocean. The station
keeps a close watch over the territories of Turkey, Iraq, Iran,
India and all the Middle East countries.
After Azerbaijan gained independence and the Radar Station was
transferred into Azeri possession, Russia continued its exploitation,
but as a renter. The bilateral agreement defined the status of the
station as an information-analytical center in Azerbaijani possession
leased to Russia till 2012, with the right of prolonging the contract.
Last year it became known that Azerbaijan was planning to raise the
rent for the rent as the agreement was approaching its expiration
date. At first Azerbaijan doubled the annual rent asking $15 million
instead of the $7 million Russia had been paying for the past decade,
then raised the price to $150 million, but didn't stop there and took
it up to $300 million per year.
Kommersant writes that the negotiations between Baku and Moscow on
the issue proved to be futile and reached a deadlock because of
Azerbaijan's exorbitant demands. The newspaper reports that Baku
refuses to back down, and Russia's Defense Ministry considers the
price to be inadequate and threatens to leave Gabala if Baku does
not moderate its appetite.
Last week the Armenian premier in his interview to the same newspaper,
answering a question whether "there is a chance that Armenia would
approve construction of a similar station on its territory if Russia
and Azerbaijan fail to reach an agreement on Gabala's lease terms",
said: "Why not?"
"If our territory is of interest from that perspective, we are ready
to discuss it," he stressed.
Sargsyan's words, naturally, had a strong resonance.
Russian Svobodnaya Pressa (Free press) newspaper writes: "Armenia's
willingness to help Russia in solving the issue by as radical a method,
as placement of a similar station on its territory, will most probably
outrage Baku: it's not enough that Moscow wouldn't pay more money,
it would also strengthen its ties with Azerbaijan's worst enemy."
Ruslan Pukhov, heading the Russian Center for Analysis of Strategies
and Technologies, said in this connection: "The idea voiced by
the Armenian Prime Minister that his country is ready to discuss
construction of a new radar station on its territory analogous to
Gabala in Azerbaijan is a very powerful move. Even if the idea is
never realized, the very fact of that offer considerably strengthens
Moscow's positions in negotiations with Baku. It will, by all means,
put pressure on Azerbaijan and will become a trump card in Russia's
hands. By this step Armenia has helped out Russia greatly. I believe
the Kremlin will duly appreciate it."
Another Russian expert Mikhail Delyagin, in charge of Russian
Institute of Globalization and Social Movements, commenting on
Sargsyan's statement said: "I don't know how much the construction
of a new station in Armenia would cost, but if Azerbaijan is asking
$300 million per year, and erecting a new radar station would cost,
say, $250 million, it's not big money to our country at all. I would
start building just to show that Russia has its independent policies
and it's not recommended to twist her arms, and if one still attempts
to do so, they'd lose more than win."
From: Baghdasarian
By Aris Ghazinyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
10.04.12 | 11:15
not pertaining to the topic or containing slander or offensive
language will be deleted. You have to be registered to be able leave
your comment. Sign in or Register now for free.
Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said in an interview to Russian
Kommersant that Armenia is ready to discuss possible construction of a
radar station on its territory similar to Gabala station in Azerbaijan.
The Gabala Radar Station is the main part of Russia's alert system
in case of missile attack and is located near the town of Gabala in
Azerbaijan. It is one of the nine radar stations built in the USSR.
Its detection range is around 8,000 km, which is enough to detect
missiles launched from the area of the Indian Ocean. The station
keeps a close watch over the territories of Turkey, Iraq, Iran,
India and all the Middle East countries.
After Azerbaijan gained independence and the Radar Station was
transferred into Azeri possession, Russia continued its exploitation,
but as a renter. The bilateral agreement defined the status of the
station as an information-analytical center in Azerbaijani possession
leased to Russia till 2012, with the right of prolonging the contract.
Last year it became known that Azerbaijan was planning to raise the
rent for the rent as the agreement was approaching its expiration
date. At first Azerbaijan doubled the annual rent asking $15 million
instead of the $7 million Russia had been paying for the past decade,
then raised the price to $150 million, but didn't stop there and took
it up to $300 million per year.
Kommersant writes that the negotiations between Baku and Moscow on
the issue proved to be futile and reached a deadlock because of
Azerbaijan's exorbitant demands. The newspaper reports that Baku
refuses to back down, and Russia's Defense Ministry considers the
price to be inadequate and threatens to leave Gabala if Baku does
not moderate its appetite.
Last week the Armenian premier in his interview to the same newspaper,
answering a question whether "there is a chance that Armenia would
approve construction of a similar station on its territory if Russia
and Azerbaijan fail to reach an agreement on Gabala's lease terms",
said: "Why not?"
"If our territory is of interest from that perspective, we are ready
to discuss it," he stressed.
Sargsyan's words, naturally, had a strong resonance.
Russian Svobodnaya Pressa (Free press) newspaper writes: "Armenia's
willingness to help Russia in solving the issue by as radical a method,
as placement of a similar station on its territory, will most probably
outrage Baku: it's not enough that Moscow wouldn't pay more money,
it would also strengthen its ties with Azerbaijan's worst enemy."
Ruslan Pukhov, heading the Russian Center for Analysis of Strategies
and Technologies, said in this connection: "The idea voiced by
the Armenian Prime Minister that his country is ready to discuss
construction of a new radar station on its territory analogous to
Gabala in Azerbaijan is a very powerful move. Even if the idea is
never realized, the very fact of that offer considerably strengthens
Moscow's positions in negotiations with Baku. It will, by all means,
put pressure on Azerbaijan and will become a trump card in Russia's
hands. By this step Armenia has helped out Russia greatly. I believe
the Kremlin will duly appreciate it."
Another Russian expert Mikhail Delyagin, in charge of Russian
Institute of Globalization and Social Movements, commenting on
Sargsyan's statement said: "I don't know how much the construction
of a new station in Armenia would cost, but if Azerbaijan is asking
$300 million per year, and erecting a new radar station would cost,
say, $250 million, it's not big money to our country at all. I would
start building just to show that Russia has its independent policies
and it's not recommended to twist her arms, and if one still attempts
to do so, they'd lose more than win."
From: Baghdasarian