Movement formed in Azerbaijan to shut down Russian radar station

Turan news agency, Baku
12 Oct 04

Baku, 12 October: An initiative group has been set up in Azerbaijan by
the name of “Azerbaijan without radar stations”. Activists of the group
have appealed to the country’s intelligentsia to support their efforts
to shut down the Qabala radar station operating in Azerbaijan. This
facility has been operating since 1985 and was rented to Russia in
2002 for 10 years.

The need to close down the radar station is based on political and
environmental reasons, in particular, the constitutional ban on
foreign military bases on Azerbaijani territory. Apart from this,
it is inadmissible for Azerbaijan to host a military facility of a
country which is a military ally of Armenia.

The report also says that the radar station poses a serious threat to
the country’s environment. In particular, the number of cardiovascular,
skin, cancer, dental and other diseases is on the rise in areas
around Qabala.

The radar station is not economically viable either. The 7m-dollar
rent paid by Russia cannot compensate for the damage inflicted by
its activities.