U.S. to Send Officials to Azerbaijan, Putin Says

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that the United States plans to send a team of military officials to Azerbaijan to inspect a radar facility that could be used as a missile defense site (see GSN, Sept. 7).

Putin made the announcement after meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush in Sydney, Australia, the Financial Times reported.

The trip to the Gabala radar has been set “in principle,” according to a senior White House official.

Putin and other Russian leaders have loudly opposed U.S. plans to deploy a radar base in the Czech Republic and 10 missile interceptors in Poland.  While Washington says its European missile defense plans are aimed at Iran, Moscow has called them a threat to its strategic security. 

Moscow has offered the Gabala site and another facility in southern Russia as alternatives to the Czech radar.  U.S. deputy national security adviser Jim Jeffrey said, though, that the experts would be looking at the role the Russian-operated radar could play in a “continent-wide missile defense system” (Andrew Ward, Financial Times, Sept. 8).

Putin expressed hope today that Russia and the United States could resolve their dispute over the missile defense plan, Interfax reported.

“There is still time, and we are optimistic,” he said.

“We can start a confrontation and rattle the saber or we can seek compromises and reach agreements.  We would prefer the latter,” Putin added (Interfax, Sept. 10).

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on Saturday reaffirmed his opposition to the U.S. plan, Reuters reported.

“From my point of view, the missile defense system is politically dangerous.  It is perceived as an attempt to isolate Russia, which is not in Europe’s political interests,” he said while promoting a book in Moscow.

“It is Germany’s responsibility … to persuade the United States to abandon these plans,” Schroeder added (Reuters/Moscow Times, Sept. 10).

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