Damascus marks 40th anniversary of Valentina Tereshkova's space flight

Damascus celebrated the 40th anniversary of the space flight of Valentina Tereshkova, the world's first woman-cosmonaut.

Pilot cosmonaut of Syria Mohammed Faris told RIA Novosti that the space flight of Valentina Tereshkova was a great event and a great deed, which will forever remain not only in the history of space exploration but also in people's memory.

Faris took part in a solemn meeting organised on this occasion in the Russian cultural centre in Damascus.

Taking part in the meeting were leaders of the ruling Arab Socialist Renaissance Party, ministers, prominent public and political figures of Syria, Russia's ambassador to Syria Robert Markaryan, representatives of the Syrian society of friendship with Russia.

"I know how difficult is a space flight and admire the first woman who successfully made it," stressed the Syrian cosmonaut. He made a space flight in July 1987 together with Soviet cosmonauts Alexander Viktorenko and Alexander Alexandrov.

Syrian minister of culture Najat Quassab Hasan said the space flight of Valentina Tereshkova was a deed for all peoples. "She has shown what women can do today," the minister pointed out.