Azerbaijan and Russia to prolong Gabala radar agreement up to 2025

The Defense Ministers of Russia and Azerbaijan on Thursday discussed the order of joint work on prolonging the validity term of the Gabala radar agreement up to 2025, Lieutenant-Colonel Irina Kovalchuk, Press Secretary of the Defense Minister of Russia, told journalists on Thursday, Trend reports.

A bilateral meeting of Russian Defense Chief Anatoly Serdukov and his Azerbaijani counterpart Safar Abiyev was held following the completion of the 61st meeting of the CIS Council of Defense Ministers in Almati, Trend cites RIA Novosti.

"They agreed (at the meeting) to intensify work to shortly agree upon and prepare for signing a document strengthening accords between the Russian and Azerbaijani Defense Ministries over this issue," Kovalchuk said.

The validity period of the Gabala radar lease and operation terms agreement expires on December 24, 2012.