YEREVAN, April 12. /TASS/. Armenian researchers made a major contribution to space exploration efforts, Russian Ambassador to Yerevan Sergei Kopyrkin said at a conference dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the first human spaceflight on Monday.

"Armenia made an invaluable contribution to the development of the space industry. Prominent Armenian scientists Viktor Ambartsumian, Artem Alikhanian and Veniamin Markaryan actively participated in the creation of Soviet schools of astrophysics and astronomy starting in the 1930s. Today, Armenia’s Byurakan Observatory maintains cooperation with a number of Russian research institutions and centers," he pointed out.

According to the Russian envoy, "the observatory monitors near Earth space based on an intergovernmental agreement between Russia and Armenia." "I am confident that all Russian-Armenian initiatives and projects related to space exploration will contribute to enhancing our countries’ research capabilities," Kopyrkin added.