Opinions & Interviews

MOSCOW, 13 April (BelTA) – The time has proven that the decision to create space industry in Belarus was right, Charge d'affaires of Belarus to Russia Pavel Legky said during a gala evening dedicated to Belarusian cosmonauts on 13 April, BelTA has learned. The event was timed to Cosmonautics Day.

The diplomat pointed out that this holiday is not just a reason for Belarusians and Russians to recall some milestones in their common history and take pride in salient achievements. It is also a reason to look into the future of the humanity because it is closely related to space technologies.

Pavel Legky reminded that being a small state, Belarus still has its own space history. Belarus has given birth to three cosmonauts: Vladimir Kovalyonok, Piotr Klimuk, and Oleg Novitsky.

According to Pavel Legky, it took a while for Belarus to form its own space industry. Back in the day Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko proposed to set up space industry in Belarus but the idea received much skepticism. “Over the last few years we saw that this decision was right,” Pavel Legky said. “Today Belarus is busy developing new space technologies. This is not our country’s image: this is our economy.”

The diplomat noted that space exploration is also inspirational. “Space is our spiritual bond,” Pavel Legky underlined. He pointed out that space exploration unites nations. Belarus and Russia have implemented three joint space programs within the framework of the Belarus-Russia Union State. Another two programs are in the pipeline. “These programs set an example of fruitful cooperation to the world,” Pavel Legky remarked.

In turn, State Secretary of the Union State Grigory Rapota continued to speak about the uniting role of space. “Cosmonautics Day is a holiday for everyone. Space exploration has never disunited people. Humanity carried out joint space projects even in the most complicated political environment, which shows the great creative power of space exploration,” Grigory Rapota said.

In turn, Head of the Office of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Piotr Vityaz highlighted that Belarus-Russia cooperation in space exploration gained momentum when the Union State was created. “Space industry gives an impetus to the development of technologies in other sectors,” Piotr Vityaz noted.

The Belarusian embassy’s business and cultural center in Moscow hosted the gala evening. Partaking in the event were the Belarusian pilot-cosmonauts Piotr Klimuk and Vladimir Kovalyonok, their Russian colleagues Sergei Krikalev and Alexei Leonov along with representatives of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian space agency Roscosmos, the Russian Association of Space Explorers, the Standing Committee of the Union State of Belarus and Russia, and the Eurasian Economic Commission. The cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky spoke to the participants from aboard the ISS. He sent holiday greetings to his peers, space pioneers, who were present during the event. “I am happy to say hello to my motherland Belarus, to my compatriots whose invisible support invigorates me,” Oleg Novitsky said.