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Russia approves draft deal on joint space research with ex-Soviet partners

Under the deal, the participants will jointly research space and planets, design spacecraft and their elements and more

MOSCOW, November 2. /TASS/. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed a decree paving the way for Russia’s cooperation in space research and industry with its partners from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

The CIS currently includes Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan. Armenia, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

According to the decree posted on the government’s website on Friday, the Russian government decided to "approve a draft agreement on joint activities in research and peaceful use of space by CIS member states, put forward by the federal space corporation Roscosmos, agreed with the Russian Foreign Ministry and other interested federal executive agencies and coordinated with states members of the CIS."

Under the deal, the participants will jointly research space and planets, design spacecraft and their elements, create and develop ground infrastructure, conduct remote sensing of the Earth, protect the space environment, carry out space missions and train specialists for the space industry.

"The aim of the agreement is to lay the legal and organizational foundation for multilateral cooperation in the domain of research and use of space for peaceful means and to contribute to preparation and signing of other agreements… on practical aspects of joint space activities," the document reads.

The Russian government expects to sign the deal during the meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of Government, to be held in Astana on Friday and attended by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Medvedev arrived in the Kazakh capital on an official visit on Thursday and met with Kazakh Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev and President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

According to the Russian government’s press service, the agenda of the upcoming CIS meeting includes aspects of cooperation "in nuclear energy, space, innovations, environment, telecommunications and tax system," as well as a package of matters related to financing of the CIS bodies.

A Russian government official earlier said the agenda includes 15 issues. The main emphasis will be placed on trade and economic cooperation of the participating countries.