Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 9
By Elena Kosolapova - Trend: Kazakhstan wants Russia to remain in Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakh Space Agency head Talgat Musabayev said.
"Neither I nor any sane person in Kazakhstan wants Russia to leave Baikonur," Musabayev told Russian newspaper Izvestia in an interview.
Musabayev stressed that Kazakhstan and Russia are partners and allies and implement joint strategic projects.
"Our country is planning to become a space power. Now we are going to launch missiles jointly with Russia. And we want to launch them jointly in the future too," Musabayev said.
Meanwhile, if Russia ever wants to leave Baikonur, Kazakhstan will not want Baikonur to die, according to Kazakh Space Agency head.
"We will do everything we can to retain Baikonur as the gateway to space and will implement the space program on our own," Musabayev said.
Meanwhile he stressed that Kazakhstan wants Russia to remain in the cosmodrome always.
The Baikonur Cosmodrome is the world's first and largest operational space launch facility, located in Kazakhstan's desert steppes. It is being leased by the Kazakh government to Russia until 2050 and is managed jointly by the Russian Federal Space Agency and the Russian Space Forces.
Under the current Russian space program, Baikonur remains a busy space port with numerous commercial, military and scientific missions being launched annually.
In late December 2013, Russia and Kazakhstan signed a roadmap on joint operation of the Baikonur Cosmodrome for 2014-2016.
Edited by C. N