Tweet
RUSSIA: WE'LL WALK AWAY FROM AZERBAIJAN RADAR
Joshua Kucera
EurasiaNet.org
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65450
May 24 2012
NY
Russia is letting it be known that it's ready to walk away from the
Gabala radar station it operates in Azerbaijan if the government in
Baku doesn't moderate its bargaining position. That's what a source
in Russia's Ministry of Defense told Russian media today:
"The Russian military is disappointed by the non-constructive approach
from the Azerbaijani side concerning the talks on extending the lease
of the Gabala missile radar," the source said, adding that Moscow
would likely leave Gabala if the talks did not move ahead...
The source in the Russian Defense Ministry also said that size of
the price increase was unreasonable, since the radar needed a full
renovation and the sum Baku was demanding for the lease was comparable
to the cost of constructing a new radar.
Recall that Azerbaijan has increased its demands from the current
$7 million a year, to $100 million and then $300 million. Unlike
many of Russia's installations in the former USSR, like in Armenia,
Tajikistan or Ukraine, this one doesn't really come with any security
guarantees, so Azerbaijan's interest in it is not great. Meanwhile,
Russia has a newer radar in the North Caucasus that fulfillls the
same role as Gabala, so it has little interest in ponying up to
Azerbaijan. So while this leak by the Russian MoD could just be a
bargaining position, it looks like this deal is heading for rejection.
Joshua Kucera
EurasiaNet.org
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65450
May 24 2012
NY
Russia is letting it be known that it's ready to walk away from the
Gabala radar station it operates in Azerbaijan if the government in
Baku doesn't moderate its bargaining position. That's what a source
in Russia's Ministry of Defense told Russian media today:
"The Russian military is disappointed by the non-constructive approach
from the Azerbaijani side concerning the talks on extending the lease
of the Gabala missile radar," the source said, adding that Moscow
would likely leave Gabala if the talks did not move ahead...
The source in the Russian Defense Ministry also said that size of
the price increase was unreasonable, since the radar needed a full
renovation and the sum Baku was demanding for the lease was comparable
to the cost of constructing a new radar.
Recall that Azerbaijan has increased its demands from the current
$7 million a year, to $100 million and then $300 million. Unlike
many of Russia's installations in the former USSR, like in Armenia,
Tajikistan or Ukraine, this one doesn't really come with any security
guarantees, so Azerbaijan's interest in it is not great. Meanwhile,
Russia has a newer radar in the North Caucasus that fulfillls the
same role as Gabala, so it has little interest in ponying up to
Azerbaijan. So while this leak by the Russian MoD could just be a
bargaining position, it looks like this deal is heading for rejection.