United States confirms interest in Azerbaijan's Gabala radar station

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has confirmed America's interest in cooperating with Russia on a missile defense system using the Gabala radar station in Azerbaijan, Deutsche Welle reported.

Gates said in an interview with Russia's Interfax news agency that the U.S. does not consider Russia to be a threat to American national security. He said that Russia's plans to create new ballistic missiles are seen in the context of the normal modernization of weapons, which the United States also carries out.

"We are partners in some areas and competitors in others," Gates said on the eve of talks with his Russian counterpart Anatoly Serdyukov. "But we cooperate in important issues."

Such cooperation may result in a center for the exchange of data on missile launches to be based in Moscow. Gates said that neither Russia's plans to develop new ballistic missiles, nor the U.S missile defense system in Europe are contrary to partnership agreements between the two countries.

"As we have repeatedly pointed out, the Missile Defense System in Europe is designed to protect [us] from Iran," Gates said, stressing that neither in terms of physical characteristics, nor in terms of geography, it can be regarded as a threat to Russia.


/Trend/