BEIJING, April 24. /TASS/. The efforts of China and Russia to create an international lunar research base are aimed at stimulating overall socio-economic progress, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said on Saturday.

According to the statement, the two parties carry out large-scale cooperation on creating an international research base on the Moon based on dialogue, joint efforts, and on the principle of collective use, thus contributing to the advancement of human progress in the field of aerospace technologies and socio-economic development.

Deputy Head of CNSA Wu Yanhua, quoted in the statement, noted that the project to build a Chinese-Russian lunar base should become an important contribution to the long-term UN program to stimulate activities in outer space.

In March, Head of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin and Director of CNSA Zhang Kejian, on behalf of the governments of the two countries, signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the creation of the International Scientific Lunar Station. The interaction between the two countries involves both studying the lunar surface and implementing joint projects in orbit of the Earth’s natural satellite.