SENIOR AZERBAIJANI OFFICIALS CONTINUE TO WELCOME

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BAKU 000849

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/06/2017
TAGS: PREL PARM PGOV MARR MNUC OPRC RU AJ
SUBJECT: SENIOR AZERBAIJANI OFFICIALS CONTINUE TO WELCOME
U.S.-RUSSIA DISCUSSIONS ON GABALA RADAR

REF: BAKU 00739

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Donald Lu for reasons 1.4 (b, d).


1. (C) Summary: President Aliyev continues to send the
message that he is waiting for the U.S. and Russia to come to
a decision regarding the Gabala radar facility after both
sides conclude their missile defense consultations. While
other GOAJ officials reiterated this message, some --
including Foreign Minister Mammadyarov and Presidential
Advisor Novruz Mammadov -- have encouraged us actively to
accept the Russian offer of cooperation on Gabala. Deputy FM
Azimov continues to push for trilateral discussions on the
use of Gabala, but this appears unsanctioned from both his
minister and the President. GOAJ officials have also
stressed that there has been no Gabala-related coordination
between Baku and Moscow since the June 6 phone call between
Presidents Aliyev and Putin, and that the GOAJ had no advance
knowledge of President Putin's revised missile defense
proposals -- specifically his offer to refurbish Gabala --
made at Kennebunkport. End Summary.

PRESIDENT ALIYEV: THE BALL IS IN YOUR COURT
--------------


2. (C) During a July 3 meeting with Congressman John Tierney
(septel),President Aliyev stressed that he would be careful
not to advocate for a particular proposal on missile defense.
Instead, he would wait for a signal from the United States
once it had completed its talks with Russia.


3. (C) Answering Tierney,s question regarding the latest
status of the Qabala radar station, Aliyev said the offer by
the Russia had been "good" for Azerbaijan since it raised the
country,s international profile. Aliyev added that the
announcement had no impact on Azerbaijan and that if it
worked, then the Government of Azerbaijan will be glad to be
part of the global security process. If the arrangement does
not work, however, then Azerbaijan will not suffer since the
proposal was not its own. Finally, he stated that if the
U.S. and Russia agree, then Azerbaijan "will join" since,
according to the 2002 Agreement governing Russia,s use of
the radar station, Azerbaijan must agree on all third party
participation in the station,s operations.


4. (C) Echoing Aliyev's previous comments to the Ambassador
(reftel),Aliyev told Tierney that the Russian offer to the
U.S. to use Gabala had come as a "surprise" and did not
affect U.S.-Azerbaijan policy. He told Tierney that Putin
had called from his airplane to talk with about the proposal
but that the call,s reception was poor and he did not get
the full details until the proposal was announced at the G8
summit. Aliyev added that the President of Poland expressed
concern about the offer and asked Azerbaijan not to encourage
the Russian proposal. Aliyev confided to Tierney that prior
to the Russian announcement, Azerbaijan had contemplated
possibly ending Russia,s use of the station per the original
agreement in 2012 and not extending Russian involvement.
Aliyev said that Azerbaijan "did not benefit from the station
and did not need the money from Russia." He stated that when
the original contract was signed in 2002, Azerbaijan needed
the money but now that was not the case. He concluded by
stating that Azerbaijan would prefer to end Russia usage of
the station since Russia had no other presence in Azerbaijan.

OTHER OFFICIALS SUGGEST COOPERATION WITH RUSSIA
-------------- --


5. (C) In contrast to Aliyev's more disinterested approach,
Presidential Foreign Policy Advisor Novruz Mammadov and
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov separately on July 3
encouraged the U.S. to find common ground with the Russians
on using the Gabala radar station because such cooperation in
Azerbaijan would provide additional security and stability to
the region and defuse current tensions between the U.S. and
Russia over missile defense. Mammadov went further, saying
that the U.S. should consider immediately cooperating with
Russia at the Gabala radar station and delay implementation
of basing of a missile defense system in the Czech Republic
and Poland by three years. The Ambassador emphasized that
the U.S. would not slow down its process of dialogue with
Eastern European states over basing of a missile defense

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system.

NOVRUZ MAMMADOV: KEEP US OUT OF IT
--------------


6. (C) In a subsequent July 5 meeting, Presidential Foreign
Policy Advisor Novruz Mammadov confirmed to Charge that there
have been no consultations between Russia and Azerbaijan on
missile defense since the June 6 phone call between the two
presidents. He said that his government was unaware in
advance of Russian President Putin's newest missile defense
proposals, including an offer to upgrade the facility at the
Gabala radar station.


7. (C) Mammadov emphasized that Azerbaijan had taken a
principled position to support U.S.-Russian cooperation on
missile defense at Gabala, but that details are to be worked
out with Azerbaijan only if the U.S. and Russia come to some
agreement first. If Azerbaijan were to take a position on
the concrete proposals currently being discussed, Mammadov
said this would only result in increased pressure on
Azerbaijan from Iran.


8. (C) Mammadov praised the beginning of expert-level talks
between the U.S. and Russia, but remained skeptical that
these talks would result in an agreement to cooperate.
"Russia's concrete goal in making these new proposals is to
make sure your plans to build systems in Poland and the Czech
Republic are not realized," he added. He suggested that
since construction of a missile defense system likely was
still years away, the U.S. should consider "striking a
bargain" to cooperate with the Russians as a first step and
actually look to construct facilities in Poland and the Czech
Republic in 2010. Mammadov was pleased that the U.S. and
Azerbaijan would discuss Missile Defense as part of the July
9-10 Security Dialogue in Washington.

DEPUTY FM AZIMOV REQUESTS A SEAT AT THE TABLE
--------------


9. (C) Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov told Charge on
July 5 that there have been no further discussions between
Azerbaijan and Russia on the topic of missile defense since
Putin's June 6 phone call to Aliyev. Azimov noted that
Presidents Putin and Aliyev did not go into details during
their phone conversation, with Putin broadly asking Aliyev if
he was open to Putin broaching the idea of U.S.-Russian
access to Gabala.


10. (C) Azimov also said that while the GOAJ is open to
cooperation on Gabala, it would like to be involved in
consultations with the U.S. and Russia, either in a bilateral
or trilateral forum. He viewed negatively the new Putin
proposal to have missile defense discussed in the NATO-Russia
Council, as this forum excludes Azerbaijan. Azimov said that
he personally favored a trilateral discussion. When asked
why his view differed from what President Aliyev has said
privately, Azimov responded that "the President needs some
education on this issue." Azimov stated that Russia is not
inclined to keep Azerbaijan informed of its positions and
deliberations on Gabala and, therefore, the GOAJ would
appreciate U.S. assistance in ensuring that the GOAJ is
closely consulted as the U.S. and Russia consider possible
access to Gabala.


11. (C) Asked whether Azerbaijan would support joint
U.S.-Russia upgrades to Gabala, Azimov responded that this
proposal changes the whole dynamic and will have to be
studied carefully. While the GOAJ had favored mothballing
the Gabala radar station after the ten year lease with Russia
expires in 2012, Azimov said the GOAJ would change its view
if the U.S. and Russia reach agreement to jointly use the
facility. The GOAJ understands the facility is outdated and
needs serious upgrades.

COMMENT
--------------


12. (C) In the days since Putin's meeting with President
Bush at Kennebunkport, the GOAJ's position on Gabala does not
appear to have changed. Although at Kennebunkport, Putin
refined his proposal considerably to include potentially

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upgrading Gabala -- along with other proposals, including
broadening missile defense consultations to include the
NATO-Russia Council -- the GOAJ's reaction appears unchanged.
Deputy FM Azimov, who travels to Washington this week, has
reflected views on missile defense and the use of the Gabala
radar station which are at odds with the President and the
President's Foreign Policy Advisor. These officials seem to
want the U.S. and Russia to come to a decision, then consult
Azerbaijan to work out the details once the dust has settled.
LU