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Russia interested in pragmatic cooperation with US on space — diplomat

Maria Zakharova welcomed "a successful start of the practical implementation of an agreement on cross-flights signed by the Roscosmos state corporation and NASA this July"

MOSCOW, September 29. /TASS/. Moscow hopes to implement its joint plans with the US on space exploration and continue pragmatic interaction in this sphere, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday.

"We proceed from the premise that despite the unprecedented exacerbation in Russian-US relations due to Washington’s failing, it is in the interests of our countries to retain pragmatic interaction on space," she noted. "I would like to express hope that our mapped-out plans will be fully implemented and that in our bilateral relations the American side will be guided at least by common sense, as well as goodwill," the diplomat added.

Zakharova welcomed "a successful start of the practical implementation of an agreement on cross-flights signed by the Roscosmos state corporation and NASA this July." According to her, within the framework of this agreement, the Soyuz MS-22 Tsiolkovsky spacecraft recently delivered a mixed crew consisting of cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin and astronaut Francisco Rubio aboard the International Space Station while a flight by Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina with the US Crew Dragon team is scheduled for October 3.

"Our country, being a pioneer in space, has consistently advocated for its peaceful exploration on an equitable and non-discriminatory basis," the diplomat stressed. "We hope that the international community will make every effort to achieve this noble goal; we are in favor of enhancing the role of the UN space committee while preventing the politicization of its work as a unique international venue for coordinating a wide range of issues of activities in space. We are ready for constructive cooperation with all space players and welcome any initiatives and projects aiming to research and use space in the interests of all of mankind and not just individual actors," she added.

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