MOSCOW, April 17. /TASS/. The foreign ministers of the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States adopted a statement on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the first human space flight, stating that the exploration and use of outer space must be carried out for peaceful purposes on the basis of international law, the CIS Executive Committee reported to TASS.

"The joint statement notes that the exploration and use of outer space must be for the benefit of all peoples and countries, carried out for peaceful purposes on the basis of international law, including relevant norms of international space law," the Executive Committee reported following the next meeting of the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers in Moscow.

The ministers also adopted a joint statement reaffirming their intention to deepen equal cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes.

"The document notes the dialogue between CIS member states on a wide range of issues related to the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes, reaffirms the intention to further deepen equal cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes, aimed at launching joint mutually beneficial and practically significant initiatives at the international level," the Executive Committee stressed.