African countries interested in Russian space services - Roscosmos CEO

ST. PETERSBURG. July 27 (Interfax) - Russia has expertise in providing virtually all types of space services, and African countries are showing an interest in them, Roscosmos CEO Yury Borisov said.

"We can offer a broad range of services to our African counterparts, and they enjoy quite a strong demand," Borisov said at a session during the Russia-Africa forum.

"I believe we have quite good prospects for our relations in the future. Unlike in previous years, we are truly beginning to switch to technological partnership aspects. This is a broader and more profound scope of interaction, unlike the provision of some particular services in developing this type of spacecraft or another. This is a comprehensive and systemic approach determining robust development of our African partners," Borisov said.

Above all, African countries are interested in telecommunication services and remote sensing data, he said.

On April 26, Borisov said that Algeria, Myanmar, Vietnam, Egypt, and South Africa were drawing up contracts with Russia for launching satellites that would be customized to their orders.

On June 30, Borisov said at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin that he invited the Algerian and Egyptian space agencies to join the construction of a Russian space station, up to building their national modules.