KUALA LUMPUR. April 25 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia and Malaysia plan to sign a program for cooperation in space by May 2006, Federal Military-Technical Cooperation Service Director Mikhail Dmitriyev said at a news conference in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.
"We think we will sign the program before the end of May. The program is serious and will be implemented according to schedule," Dmitriyev said.
Russian Ambassador to Malaysia Alexander Karchava said four Malaysian cosmonauts will fly to Russia on April 27. "Two of the four will be selected and begin training," Karchava said.
The Russian-Malaysian space program "is an imperative issue which was agreed upon at the political level a long time ago. The only thing that remains to be done is to detail individual aspects of the training program in Russia," said Dmitriyev.
Concerning the charge Russia will ask for ferrying Malaysian cosmonauts to the International Space Station, Dmitriyev said this issue is being negotiated by the parties.
"No problems exist here," he said.
Dmitriyev announced that the program for training the main and backup cosmonaut is to last for about 18 months.
Asked about the price Malaysia will pay for the orbiting of its cosmonaut, Karchava said, "It does not change. The launch of a cosmonaut is part of the offset deal. No money transfer is made. The space ticket is sold by the Russian Federal Space Agency, and it is the head of this agency who should be asked about the price."