Georgia Ready to Hosts Elements of European Missile Defense

September 28th, 2011 MDAA

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has announced that his country would welcome deployment of X-band radar, an element of regional missile defense system designed to protect Central Asia and the Middle East from Iran, in its territory.

Currently US Senators Kyl and Kirk urge Pentagon to deploy radar not in Turkey, but in Georgia.

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Baramidze stressed that the idea of US Republican Senators to deploy missile defense system radars on the territory of the republic was very interesting.

“The US is Georgia’s strategic partner, and if this issue is formally put on the agenda, the Georgian side will consider it very seriously and adequately,” he said.

At the same time, Deputy Prime Minister stressed that Tbilisi welcomes any idea that promotes peace and stability in the Caucasus.

Representatives of the Republican Party in the U.S. Senate have already announced that they want to reach an agreement to install radar in Georgia. They have already appealed to President Barack Obama with this idea.

Proposals of the Senators are a response to conditions of the Turkish government in connection with U.S. plans to deploy elements of missile defense.

Ankara has given a consent to install new American TPY-2 radar in its territory only provided that the U.S. will not tell Israel the data gathered by radar.

In addition, Turkey wants to have complete control over the missile defense system installed on its territory

SOURCE: News.Az