RUSSIA, AZERBAIJAN AGREE TO INTENSIFY MILITARY COOPERATION
ITAR-TASS, Russia
Nov 29 2007
BAKU, November 29 (Itar-Tass) – Russia and Azerbaijan have agreed to
intensify military-technological cooperation, including arms purchases.
"Such an agreement was reached in Baku on Wednesday in the course of
Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov’s official visit and talks
with his Azerbaijani counterpart Safar Abiyev," Russian Ambassador
to Azerbaijan Vasily Istratov told a news conference on Thursday.
According to Istratov, at the talks the two ministers achieved the
fundamental understanding of the importance of annual mutual visits.
"Serdyukov and Abiyev discussed practically all issues of mutual
interest, including the training of Azerbaijani specialists at
Russian military academies. Serdyukov said the Defense Ministry’s
training establishments were ready to meet any of Azerbaijan’s
requests for instruction of both cadets and commissioned officers,"
the ambassador said.
About the possibility Russia and the United States might jointly
use the Gabala radar as an alternative to the deployment of the US
missile defense systems in Eastern Europe to counter threats that
might emerge in the south, he said it depended on a number of factors.
According to Istratov, it is too early to consider the radar’s
future uses after 2012, when the term of the lease contract with
Russia expires.
"The Gabala radar belongs to Azerbaijan and only that country, as its
owner, has the right to decide what is to be done to the facility,"
he said. "The radar successfully fulfills its mission and both defense
ministers were able to see that for themselves during their visit."
Istratov refuted media allegations about a deployment of Russian
armaments in Nagorno-Karabakh. He said, "the ministers discussed
this issue and Russia said it was not deploying any military hardware
in Nagorno-Karabakh."
The diplomat also shed lilght on media reports about alleged plans for
a second Russian military base in Armenia. Istratov said his country
"has no such plans at all."