RUSSIA CEASES USE OF RADAR STATION IN AZERBAIJAN AS LEASE TALKS FAIL
http://armenianow.com/news/41839/armenia_azerbaijan_russia_gabala_radar_station
News | 11.12.12 | 10:53
Photo: www.wikipedia.org
Russia has ceased using an early-warning radar station based in
neighboring Azerbaijan after the two countries failed to reach an
agreement on extending the lease.
The Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan said Monday that the decision was
taken after talks failed on renewing a 10-year lease dating from 2002.
Media in Russia had earlier reported that the two sides disagreed
over financial terms. Some reports claimed Azerbaijan was seeking up
to $300 million annual rent, up from earlier demands for $15 million.
Moscow had until now paid $7 million per year for use of the
Soviet-built Gabala radar station.
The commissioning of the newer Voronezh-DM radar station near the
town of Armavir in Russia's southern Krasnodar region may have made
the facility in Azerbaijan redundant.
A Russian news agency quoted a local military source as saying that the
decision to suspend use of the radar station would not harm relations
with Azerbaijan.
As the Russian-Azeri talks over Gabala progressed Armenia also
indicated that it was ready to discuss a possibility of Russia's
building a new radar station in its territory if Moscow and Baku were
unable to reach agreement.
http://armenianow.com/news/41839/armenia_azerbaijan_russia_gabala_radar_station
News | 11.12.12 | 10:53
Photo: www.wikipedia.org
Russia has ceased using an early-warning radar station based in
neighboring Azerbaijan after the two countries failed to reach an
agreement on extending the lease.
The Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan said Monday that the decision was
taken after talks failed on renewing a 10-year lease dating from 2002.
Media in Russia had earlier reported that the two sides disagreed
over financial terms. Some reports claimed Azerbaijan was seeking up
to $300 million annual rent, up from earlier demands for $15 million.
Moscow had until now paid $7 million per year for use of the
Soviet-built Gabala radar station.
The commissioning of the newer Voronezh-DM radar station near the
town of Armavir in Russia's southern Krasnodar region may have made
the facility in Azerbaijan redundant.
A Russian news agency quoted a local military source as saying that the
decision to suspend use of the radar station would not harm relations
with Azerbaijan.
As the Russian-Azeri talks over Gabala progressed Armenia also
indicated that it was ready to discuss a possibility of Russia's
building a new radar station in its territory if Moscow and Baku were
unable to reach agreement.