MOSCOW, November 19. /TASS/. The Russian Foreign Ministry will encourage cooperation within the global community as part of the International Space Station (ISS) in every possible way, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told an international scientific and practical conference called "Cosmonautics: Open Space for International Cooperation and Development" on Monday.
"The ISS is an example of partnership, which is not subject to politics. The last thing is particularly crucial for the Foreign Ministry. I think that the importance of such cooperation today is doubly critical, so we need to safeguard and step it up," the diplomat emphasized.
"This project has become an independent area, as the saying goes, an island of normality in international relations. There is no collision of interests, no one carries out provocations, or practices sanctions and countermeasures. Quite the contrary, here we can see a unity of interests, an approach towards a mutual accomplishment of existing objectives and emerging problems. Here we can see a joint pursuit to achieve common goals and support each other," Ryabkov stressed.
The Russian senior diplomat also pointed out that regulations and standards in global politics, economics and scientific and technical ties are increasingly being broken down. "Under the ISS project, an environment of positive and multilateral cooperation, where the priority of friendship and trust prevails, is maintained," he stated.
The diplomat recalled that the world community’s prudence in space cooperation "has always prevented countries from making fatal mistakes." "Let’s hope that this prudence won’t let us down in the future," Ryabkov said.