USA gives up neither Gabala RLS nor radars in Europe

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Consultations and monitoring of the Gabala Radiolocation Station with experts from Russia, the United States and Azerbaijan lasted for more than four hours yesterday. As a REGNUM correspondent reports, no decisive statements were made after the meetings.

According to first deputy chief of staff of Russia's Space Forces Alexander Yakushin, who heads the Russian delegation, they demonstrated basic tactical and technical characteristics of Daryal Radiolocation Station to the American colleagues. “We showed prospects of developing it, especially in what regards modernization, if they finally make a political decision to do this job,” Yakushin said adding that the Russian experts answered practically all questions of the American side.

In his turn, US Missile Defense Agency Deputy Director, Brigadier General Patrick O’Reilly noted the importance of the consultations. However, the US experts plan to analyze what they saw in detail only when they come to the United States. “On the basis of data we received we shall conduct modeling,” he said.

It is worth mentioning, the Bush administration reiterated that Russia’s proposal to use radiolocation systems in Azerbaijan and Russia cannot substitute the third position area for US national missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic. Russia’s foreign and defense ministers and the US defense secretary are planned to meet and discuss the Gabala issue in Moscow on October 10.

Earlier, on June 7, President Vladimir Putin proposed to the USA to use jointly the Gabala Radiolocation Station. The White House gave no unambiguous assessment to the initiative. Within frameworks of placing its missile defense shield in Eastern Europe the USA intends to deploy ten interceptor missiles in the Polish territory and construct a radiolocation station in the Czech Republic. According to the US administration, such measures are needed to protect Europe from possible missile attacks from Iran and North Korea. Such intentions cause concern from the Russian side. Russia speaks against deploying missile defense facilities in Czechia and Poland, because they can pose threat to Russia itself.