Kazakh Premier Vows to Support National Space Programmes

Excerpt from report by Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency

Astana, 1 February: The Kazakh government will provide necessary support to the plans of the National Space Agency (NSA) to develop the national space industry, Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Masimov said.

“You will certainly enjoy support in carrying out all of the agency’s tasks. The president monitors this issue personally. And I will support you as the head of the government. This [support], certainly, will depend on the capacities of the country’s budget and economy,” Masimov said at a meeting at the NSA in Astana on Friday [1 February].

“All programmes that have been started will continue. New programmes need to be thoroughly considered as the global financial crisis affects Kazakhstan as well. (…) [ellipsis as published] And the government’s current priority is to achieve objectives and resolve issues in the social sphere,” he said, adding that the use of funds allocated to NSA will be raptly monitored by respective structures.

Speaking about the agency’s objectives for 2008, the prime minister ordered “to control finalizing of a draft law “On space activity of the Republic of Kazakhstan” which is currently being considered by the parliament’s Majlis [lower house]. Karim Masimov also ordered to increase the quota for training specialists in the space sphere by the Bolashak [Future] state-funded education programme.

[Passage omitted: the prime minister urged for better efficiency of NSA]

“Having a unique opportunity – the Baykonur cosmodrome – in our country, we need to make maximum use of it. We need to develop the space sphere as it is the country’s prestige and, after all, an issue of our national security,” Masimov said.

Originally published by Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency, Almaty, in Russian 0707 1 Feb 08.

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