MOSCOW. Oct 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov has approved the composition of the Russian section of the Russian- Azerbaijani commission that is tasked to determine chattels of the Gabala radar station that are to become property of the Russian Federation.
The commission includes officials of the Defense Ministry, Property Ministry, Interior Ministry and interested organizations, an official of the government information department told Interfax- Military News Agency on Monday. Deputy Commander of the Russian Space Troops Lieutenant General Anatoly Shishkin is appointed chairman of the commission on behalf of Russia.
The Defense Ministry is instructed to approve the list of members of the Russian section using proposals from the Property Ministry, Interior Ministry and interested organizations. The Foreign Ministry is charged to forward the list of members to the Azerbaijani party.
In early August, President Vladimir Putin presented the State Duma with an agreement with Azerbaijan on the status, principles and conditions of using the Gabala radar station signed in Moscow on January 25, 2002. The agreement is intended to maintain the integrity of the Russian missile attack warning system and enable Russia to receive information about the movement of missiles in the south. Putin noted that the agreement serves Russia's interests and has been ratified by Azerbaijan.
The State Duma defense committee made a decision on Monday to recommend that the parliament ratify the agreement. "Preservation of a closed radar field in framework of the missile attack warning system and obtainment of data on the missile and space situation in the south fully meet Russia's military, political and economic interests," deputy chairman of the committee Alexei Arbatov told Interfax-AVN.
The Russian government earlier approved the agreement. Under the document, Azerbaijan leased the Gabala radar to Russia for 10 years at an annual lease payment of USD7m. In addition, Russia will have to pay Azerbaijan compensation of USD31m for using the radar station from July 4, 1997 through December 31, 2001.
The station personnel will include 1,500 people who can be both Russian and Azerbaijani citizens.
According to open sources, the Gabala radar station is a part of the Russian missile attack early warning system. It has been on combat duty since February 20, 1985. The station's range is 6,000 kilometers.
In addition to controlling launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles from U.S. nuclear submarines in the Indian Ocean, the station provides for monitoring the air and space over the territories of Iran, Turkey, India, Iraq, Pakistan, a part of China and several more Asian and African nations.
According to the Duma defense committee, technical resource of the station ensures its operation until 2012, which will enable Russia to create a future radar station on its own territory to ensure control over its southern borders.