September 13, 2007 (LPAC)--Following up on the Bush-Putin agreements at Kennebunkport in July, the Russian Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Vasily Istratov, said today at a briefing in Baku, that the meeting involving experts from the U.S., Russia, and Azerbaijan to discuss integrating the Russian Gabala radar in Azerbaijan into a joint ballistic missile defense system for Europe would be held on September 18th. It will include both technical experts from each country, as well as high-level diplomatic officials. The Azeri team will be led by Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov; Russia will send experts from the General Staff, the Space Forces, and the Foreign Ministry to the consultations. Novosti reports. The bi-lateral 2+2 meeting of the Russian and American defense and state secretaries is scheduled for October.

At the same time, the U.S. is continuing negotiations on its plans for basing components of the U.S. ballistic missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic - which the Russians have clearly rejected as a provocation and a threat.

On September 5, talks were held at the Czech Foreign Ministry on "the conditions and circumstances" of the location of the radar, led by Assistant Secretary of State, John Rood, and Czech Deputy Foreign Minister, Tomas Pojar. People's Daily reports that, according to the Czech media, the Czech position is that the agreement should enable the Czechs to ask the U.S. to remove the radar installation at any time (!). The base would include 120 U.S. soldiers.

Talks also took place September 11 and 12, between the Czech Defense Ministry's defense policy and strategy section, and a 10-member U.S. team, led by Jackson McDonald, from the State Department. Last week, the Czech government hired a public relations firm to try to change the minds of the two-thirds of Czech citizens who oppose the siting of the radar in their country.

In the U.S., the U.S. Senate yesterday joined the House in slashing the funds for this Bush Administration provocation in Europe.