Russia won't give up Baikonur cosmodrome

Russia is not going to give up the use of its Baikonur cosmodrome (situated in Kazakhsatn), said Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov.

"Russia has taken course at well-balanced development of cosmodromes on its territory, but it will not leave the Baikonur cosmodrome," the defence minister said at a news conference Wednesday.

According to him, this cosmodrome has played a key role in ensuring guaranteed access and permanent presence of Russia in the space. The minister stressed that the cosmodrome's infrastructure and its staff of high-qualified specialists "determine its leading role in the design and development of promising rocket-space complexes." "Russia's future is impossible without the space," the minister stressed. "For us the space means defence, communications, economy and science in the broadest range of avenues."