Russian Academic Calls for Space Treaty After China Tests Anti- Satellite Missile

Text of report by Russian news agency Interfax-AVN website

Moscow, 3 October: China’s tests of anti-satellite weapons convinced the entire world of the necessity to counter the militarization of space, according to an academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Roald Sagdeyev.

“The test by the Chinese side of an anti-satellite missile caused many negative emotions, in particular among American specialists. Now I think that we have better chances for all space powers to sit down at a talks table and come up with options for preventing weapons to be taken into space,” Sagdeyev told Interfax-AVN.

One of these options, according to him, is a framework treaty developed by independent experts from various countries.

In addition to this, Sagdeyev added, Russia is offering its own version of a treaty, to which China as well as some other space powers are prepared to join.

Therefore all questions on signing a treaty “should first of all be put to the American side,” Sagdeyev said.

Originally published by Interfax-AVN military news agency website, Moscow, in Russian 0805 3 Oct 07.

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