Domestic

Domestic

Russia offers the US joint use of radar station in Azerbaijan

07 June 2007 18:04 (UTC +04:00)

President Putin announced this in a briefing to journalists following the meeting with President Bush during the G8 summit in Heiligendamm, Germany.
The meeting of the Presidents covered the US plan to deploy missile defense system in Europe. Putin said Russia and the US have notion of common threat but the opinions differ on how to neutralize these threats.
â€œWe have carefully studied the offers by the US. We also have our ideas to offer of which I have informed the US President in detail. First is joint use of Gabala radar station that we rented in Azerbaijan. Yesterday I talked to Azerbaijani President regarding that, the existing agreement makes it possible for us to take this step,â€ Russian President said.
Vladimir Putin said he reached an agreement with President Bush on discussing this issue at the level of experts soon. â€œThere will not be any need to deploy our defense complexes on European borders.â€
Bush told journalists that the US and Russia agreed to start a strategic dialogue with participation of military experts and diplomats regarding the problem on missile defense.
â€œWe had a very constructive dialogue. Vladimir Putinâ€™s proposal was interesting and so, we decided to pass to a strategic dialogue,â€ the US President underlined. /APA/