http://en.mirzexezerinsesi.net/articles/2007/06/20/vardan-oskanian-us-missiles-worry-armenia en-us 40 YEREVAN, Armenia, June 20--Armenia voiced concern Wednesday that a Russian proposal to host part of a US missile defense system in neighboring Azerbaijan could destabilize the volatile Caucasus region. "The hosting of anti-missile stations in Europe is the business of Russia, Europe and the US, but when it is a question of Azerbaijan, this interests and worries us, as it concerns our region," Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian said. "We are concerned with the consequences of this on the balance in the region and on regional political and security matters," Oskanian said following a meeting with NATO's special representative to the Caucasus region, Robert Simmons. Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in a territorial dispute over the Nagorny Karabakh enclave since before the break-up of the Soviet Union. Azerbaijan lost control of the territory and seven surrounding regions during a war in the early 1990s, but Karabakh's status has yet to be settled. Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed using the Russian-leased Gabala radar station in Azerbaijan as an alternative host for elements of a US missile defense system planned for the Czech Republic and Poland. The defense chiefs of Russia and Azerbaijan confirmed Wednesday their support for the proposal, which Washington has said it is examining. US plans to locate powerful missile-tracking radar in the Czech Republic as well interceptor missiles in Poland to combat what it alleges are threats to global security. Russia vehemently opposes either location for the planned US system. (Alalam News - www.alalam.ir) Wed, 20 Jun 2007 16:27:00 -0400 urn:uuid:a2b2216a-e5f7-47c8-a428-b4dbb18c82fe Mirza Khazar http://en.mirzexezerinsesi.net/articles/2007/06/20/vardan-oskanian-us-missiles-worry-armenia News