Baku threatens Moscow with retaliatory measures

The Messenger, Georgia
June 17 2005

The Russian newspaper Gazeta SNG reports that the head of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elmar Mamediarov has threatened to
take measures against Russia in response to Moscow’s intentions to
relocate part of the property and military equipment from the Russian
bases in Georgia to its bases in Armenia.

“There is an opinion regarding Baku’s intention to use
counter-measures,” said the minister, though he did not explain what
kind of measures these may be, although the paper suggests that
Baku may refuse to cooperate with Russia regarding the leasing of
Gabalinskaya RLS Radio Locating Station to Russia.

“In any case, the minister has made an official statement. We should
expect counter measures and depending on their actual ability, make
concrete conclusions regarding how far Azerbaijan is willing to go,”
the paper writes.

The paper cites Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo.Baku as suggesting
that possible counter measures may include the denouncement of the
agreement regarding the rent of Gabaliskaya RLS and/or allowing the
U.S. military to deploy more bases under, although the paper notes
that in an interview with the Azeri newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta Azeri
political analyst Rasim Musabekov stated Gabalinskaya RLS would not be
closed until the expiration of the deadline agreed upon by both sides.

Azerbaijan has been cooperating with Turkey, the United States, and
NATO ever more closely without raising the issue of Russia’s continuing
use of Gabalinskaya RLS located on its territory, the paper writes,
but it is now not out of the realm of possibility that RLS will be
closed before the agreed date.

Acting Head of the Caucasus Institute of Mass Media in Yerevan
Aleksander Iskandarian stated in an interview with Gazeta.SNG that
while Azerbaijan has no need at all for Gabalinskaya, he stressed
that the RLS is the “eyes and ears of Russia’s nuclear shield” which
observes the situation in the Indian Ocean.

“To dismantle this station would mean to leave nuclear facilities
unobserved. Russia will not know what is going on near to its
borders. This is dangerous and the Americans of course realize this,”
he stated.

“We should understand that in realizing this danger, Washington is
not about to put pressure on Moscow regarding this issue. Another
issue is that Baku is trying to use Gabalinskaya RLS to free itself
from the grip it has found itself by promising to allow the United
States to deploy bases on Azeri territory and not to allow the same
to Moscow,” the paper notes.