On April 17, 2024, the Anniversary “V Week of Russian Diplomacy”, which is dedicated to space diplomacy, opened at the Primakov Centre.
Mikhail Leonov, Vice-Rector for Educational Work and Youth Policy of the Samara University, addressed the participants of the event with an introductory speech:
“The opportunities that are opened to you, students, are unique, and you need to use them to the fullest.”
Farit Mukhametshin, Deputy Chair of the Committee of the Federation Council on International Affairs, stressed the importance of the issue of regulating space diplomacy in his speech. It is impossible to achieve progress without working together, so, space development for countries can become an instrument for countries to unite rather than divide.
Farit Mukhametshin noted that the Samara Region is one of the leaders in the development of the Russian space sector, because it was the Samara launch vehicle that launched Yuri Gagarin into space.
“Our region rightfully holds the honorary status of the space capital of Russia. It was the Samara launch vehicle that launched the first manned spacecraft with Yuri Gagarin on board. It is here that rockets, engines, and various space satellites are produced. A number of specialists for these high-tech enterprises are also trained here in Samara,”
Tatyana Yuryevna Tishchenko, Director of the Department of International Cooperation at Roscosmos State Corporation, stressed that international cooperation plays an important role in the process of space exploration and the International Space Station is a prime example of it.
Various projects, including the Russian-Chinese initiative to create a scientific lunar station, contribute to the formation of new global centers, and also leave hope that the space sphere will not become a place of struggle.
Vladimir V. Kuznetsov, Director of the UN Information Center in Moscow, noted that, despite all the hardships, space exploration is the most important direction for the UN, and the Week of Russian Diplomacy is a significant step forward to restore trust and dialogue between countries on space exploration and the development of scientific and technical cooperation in the field of outer space:
“Lately, humanity has been balancing on the edge of the most negative scenarios. We are working to ensure that everyone has enough common sense and intelligence to avoid the most negative consequences. There is nothing to replace the UN — it has a unique legitimacy, and it is worth a lot,”
Alexey Chupakhin, the Representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Samara, noted that space exploration, despite its importance, causes many problems, space diplomacy makes it possible them to be taken into account and, together, solved.
Photo: Ildar Popov , Alina Kavtaskina (Photo Club “Illuminator” named after V.A. Kakovkin)
