Baykonur -- 50th Anniversary

Baikonur birthday, an outstanding event in cosmonautics

MOSCOW, May 31 17:50 (RIA Novosti) - Russia sees the 50th anniversary of
the Baikonur launching site as a remarkable event in the history of Russian
and the world space exploration. The word Baikonur permeates every landmark
in space research, official spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry
Alexander Yakovenko told RIA Novosti in the interview on Tuesday.

"Thanks to the combined effort of Russia and Kazakhstan, the Baikonur
launching site remains among the biggest space ports in the world. It
accounts for over 70% of the Russian spacecraft launches," Alexander
Yakovenko said.

Russian-Kazakh space cooperation is not limited by the lease of the
Baikonur, he said.

"A series of joint projects is being carried out, along them the setting
up of the Baiterek space rocketry complex on the Baikonur and the launch of
the Kazakh communication and broadcasting satellite KAZSAT. Moreover, Kazakh
cosmonauts are trained in Russia," Alexander Yakovenko added.

The celebrations, which will be held in Baikonur on June 2, "will be a
great socio-political event for Russia and Kazakhstan." A set of joint
documents will be signed and an outlook for the deepening of bilateral
cooperation in the field of space will be considered, Yakovenko added.

On April 12, 1961 the world's first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was put into
orbit from Baikonur. He made a round-the-world orbital trip in the Vostok
spaceship in 1 hour 48 minutes.

Russia's largest launching site, Baikonur is situated in Kazakhstan. The
Russian Federation has leased it until 2050.



Putin To Visit Kazakhstan On June 2

MOSCOW, May 31 18:30 (RIA Novosti) - Vladimir Putin will pay a working visit
to Kazakhstan on June 2, the presidential press service reports. Putin and
Kazakh leader Nursultan Nazarbayev will attend gala events devoted to the
50th anniversary of the Baikonur space center.