MOSCOW, February 24. /TASS/. Moscow has no plans to quit the 1967 Outer Space Treaty that governs the principles of peaceful space exploration, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Saturday.

"No, we do not consider [such plans]," the senior Russian diplomat said, replying to a corresponding question.

"This is one of the key components remaining in force within the system of international treaties, legal accords and other instruments of regulating this sphere that has developed over decades," Ryabkov said.

It is the United States that has long been seeking to gain supremacy in outer space, "including the weapons sphere," the senior Russian diplomat pointed out.

"This is their usual method when non-existent intentions are ascribed to others and under this pretext and under this guise, they intensify their own efforts that run counter to the interests of international security and fully ignore our proposals," he explained.

As opposed to this approach, Russia seeks to keep outer space free of weapons of any kind, Ryabkov stressed.