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US military team set to inspect Azerbaijan radar station
By Andrew Ward in Sydney
FT
September 8 2007 03:00
A US military delegation is poised to visit Azerbaijan later this month
to inspect a radar station that Russia has proposed as an alternative
to missile defence facilities in central Europe.
Vladimir Putin, Russian president, announced the trip yesterday after
talks with George W. Bush, his US counterpart, at the Asia Pacific
Economic Co-operation summit in Sydney.
A senior White House official confirmed the US had agreed "in
principle" to send experts to inspect the Russian-operated facility at
Gabala.
Jim Jeffrey, deputy national security adviser, said US experts would
assess how the Gabala site could be integrated into a "continent-wide
missile defence system".
Mr Putin floated the idea of US access to the radar in June, after
months of tensions over Washington's plans to locate a radar in the
Czech Republic and missile interceptors in Poland.
The US has so far refused to back down from its plans for central
Europe but has expressed interest in Russia's proposal for co-operation
on missile defence.
"What the president wants - and he underlined this with President Putin
again today - is to move forward together with the Russians," said Mr
Jeffrey.
Russia is worried that the US plans are aimed at blunting its missile
arsenal but Washington insists the proposed shield is designed to
defend against threats from the Middle East.
By Andrew Ward in Sydney
FT
September 8 2007 03:00
A US military delegation is poised to visit Azerbaijan later this month
to inspect a radar station that Russia has proposed as an alternative
to missile defence facilities in central Europe.
Vladimir Putin, Russian president, announced the trip yesterday after
talks with George W. Bush, his US counterpart, at the Asia Pacific
Economic Co-operation summit in Sydney.
A senior White House official confirmed the US had agreed "in
principle" to send experts to inspect the Russian-operated facility at
Gabala.
Jim Jeffrey, deputy national security adviser, said US experts would
assess how the Gabala site could be integrated into a "continent-wide
missile defence system".
Mr Putin floated the idea of US access to the radar in June, after
months of tensions over Washington's plans to locate a radar in the
Czech Republic and missile interceptors in Poland.
The US has so far refused to back down from its plans for central
Europe but has expressed interest in Russia's proposal for co-operation
on missile defence.
"What the president wants - and he underlined this with President Putin
again today - is to move forward together with the Russians," said Mr
Jeffrey.
Russia is worried that the US plans are aimed at blunting its missile
arsenal but Washington insists the proposed shield is designed to
defend against threats from the Middle East.