On October 23, 2023, the NAS of Belarus and the Chinese National Space Administration* signed a Joint Declaration on Cooperation on the International Scientific Lunar Station. The document was signed by Chairman of the Presidium of the NAS of Belarus Vladimir Gusakov and Head of the Chinese National Space Administration Zhang Kejian.
According to the Joint Declaration, the parties will develop cooperation in the process of creating and operating an International Scientific Lunar Station. The areas of cooperation will be fundamental and applied research in the field of technics and space application technologies, new materials and electronic component base, training and advanced training of scientific personnel and specialists. By mutual agreement, the parties may determine other areas of cooperation.
During the video meeting, Vladimir Gusakov stressed that in our country, the space sphere in the areas of information and communication and aerospace technologies, Earth's remote sensing, space instrumentation and electronic industry has been identified as one of the priority areas of innovative development of Belarus, which involves the broad integration of Belarusian scientific organizations and industrial enterprises of the space industry within the framework of international scientific and technical projects with friendly states. The Chairman of the Presidium of the NAS of Belarus emphasized the importance of further cooperation between Belarus and China in the aerospace field and the readiness of Belarusian scientists to develop it within the framework of the China-Russia project on creating an International Scientific Lunar Station. This project is aimed at strengthening research cooperation and promoting the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes in the interests of all mankind. "The National Academy of Sciences of Belarus is interested in participating in this project in the most active way and we are confident that joint activities in the field of space will become one of the priorities of our cooperation. Today we have a chance to strengthen mutually beneficial work, to reach a new level of our relations. I am convinced that the signing of the Joint Declaration will ensure the further expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation between our strategic partner countries for the benefit of the two countries’ economies," Vladimir Gusakov stressed.
In turn, the Head of the Chinese National Space Administration, Zhang Kejian, noted the need to intensify activities to develop joint projects and involve the Belarusian side in Chinese programs for deep space exploration. Zhang Kejian expressed readiness to visit Belarus and the Academy of Sciences to get acquainted with the results of research in the field of space technologies and invited the Head of the NAS of Belarus to visit China to familiarize himself with the achievements of Chinese scientists and specialists in this field.
Following the results of the video meeting, an agreement was reached on the development of a Roadmap for cooperation between the NAS of Belarus and the Chinese National Space Administration on specific scientific and technical projects within the framework of the creation and operation of the International Scientific Lunar Station.
*The China National Space Administration (CNSA) was founded in 1993 and is a government organization of the People's Republic of China responsible for the management of space activities for civilian purposes and international space cooperation.
