CIS to create interstate system of space monitoring of emergencies

/AzerNews/

By Nigar Orujova

The CIS states will create an interstate system of space monitoring of emergencies and inter-regional satellite communication system in the interests of the Commonwealth countries-participants, the Russian Space Agency reported to TASS news agency.

The decision was taken on the results of the meeting of representatives of the executive authorities of the CIS countries on cooperation issues in the field of space activities.

"The protocol of the meeting included decisions on all issues on the agenda of the event: the creation of the new legal framework of the multilateral cooperation, the need to integrate terrestrial infrastructures, which use GLONASS signal, the issue of accession of the CIS countries to the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters," the Agency said.

The participants also agreed to develop a draft agreement on the establishment of an international intergovernmental research organization "Joint Institute for Space Research," as well as to create a unified system of satellite monitoring of agricultural lands of the CIS countries.

"Responsible executors were appointed for each item of the protocol," the Agency said. "Federal Space Agency will be the coordinator for the implementation of decisions taken at the meeting during the year."

The next meeting of the representatives of the executive authorities of CIS member states on cooperation issues in the space sector will be held in Minsk in 2015.

Azerbaijan became a member of the space club by launching its own satellite into orbit in February 2013. Azerspace-1 telecommunication satellite covers Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia and North Africa. The second satellite is scheduled to be launched in 2017.

The country is also considering using Azerspace-1 satellite for the transmission of telemetry data from seismic stations over the territory of the country.