Sergei Ivanov Says Gabala Station Will Serve Only To Russia

Baku Today
21/05/2004 16:27

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov on Thursday denied rumors
that his government was planning to allow the United States to use
its Gabala radar station that is located in Azerbaijan.

“I don’t foresee that. Even if I had a rich imagination, I couldn’t
foresee that,” Ivanov told reporters in Yerevan, according to the
Associated Press. “This station is for the sole use of the Russian
military.”

Russia’s Interfax new agency quoted Ivanov as saying that the Gabala
radar station could only work for the interests of the space forces
of his country.

Put into operation in 1988, the Gabala radar stating was aimed to
monitor jets and missiles in the Southern Hemisphere.

The former Soviet Union had nine such radar stations, the Gabala
station and the station at Mukachevo in Ukraine being the last to
be constructed.

After the fall of the Soviet Union in late 1991, Azerbaijan allowed
Russia to continue using the station.

The Defense Minister Ivanov expressed satisfaction with the state of
military cooperation between Russia and Armenia.

Itar-Tass quoted Ivanov as saying that relations between the two
countries in the field of defense and security have been improving
dynamically and steadily and that there have been no major problems
between them.

He mentioned that 600 Armenian cadets were currently studying in
Russian higher military schools.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress