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Space cooperation with Kazakhstan to continue after president’s resignation — Roscosmos

Russia has been leasing the Baikonur space center from Kazakhstan since 1994

MOSCOW, March 20. /TASS/. Russian space corporation Roscosmos will continue its cooperation with Kazakhstan in all joint space projects following the resignation of Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev, a Roscosmos official told TASS on Tuesday.

"Cooperation on all projects will continue," the source said.

On Tuesday, Nazarbayev said he would step down as the head of state. He also signed a decree appointing Senate Speaker Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as Kazakhstan’s Acting President.

Nazarbayev said he would remain chairman of the Central Asian state’s Security Council despite his resignation. Nazarbayev, 78, will also remain chairman of the Nur Otan Democratic People’s Party and a member of the Constitutional Council. Nazarbayev has led Kazakhstan since 1989, when it was part of the Soviet Union. In 1991, Nazarbayev was elected as the nation’s first president.

Russia has been leasing the Baikonur space center from Kazakhstan since 1994, and, according to the existing agreements, will continue to do so until 2050. Under the current contract, Russia pays $115 million annually for leasing the launch facility.

One of the joint Russian-Kazakh space programs, currently under way at Baikonur, is the Baiterek project.

Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement to build the Baiterek space launch facility at the Baikonur space center on the sidelines of the Army 2018 forum on August 22. In this project, Kazakhstan is responsible for creating the ground infrastructure of the launch compound by modernizing the existing Zenit-M launch facility.

The first test launch from the Baiterek space rocket compound is expected to be carried out by late 2022. Unlike other facilities located at the Baikonur space center, the Baiterek launch facility will be the property of Kazakhstan.