8 Jul 2016 19:45

Russia could refuse from Baikonur after 2025, Kazakhstan says

MOSCOW. July 8 (Interfax) - Russia could decide to no longer use Baikonur Cosmodrome after 2025, Kazakhstan's First Deputy Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev said.

"We can see that the first launch from Vostochny Cosmodrome was carried out. We gradually realize that there will be plans for Russia to move launches to its own cosmodromes. Generally speaking, Russia could refuse to use Baikonur after 2025," Sagintayev said.

For his part, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said that "despite the completion of the first phase of Vostochny Cosmodrome, Baikonur remains our joint extremely important business."