Minister of Digital Development and Aerospace Industry Bagdat Mussin responded to a question about the current situation involving the conclusion of a lease agreement with Russia on the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Tengrinews reports.

Negotiation dates

The minister said that negotiations with the Russian side are scheduled for April 15-20 and will tackle a number of issues including long-term projects in the coming years. According to Mussin, Russia pays more than $100 million a year for the lease of the spaceport. The contract is ratified until 2050.

"Yesterday, Mr. Rogozin [Director General of Roscosmos] seemed to say that his plans have not changed [on the Baikonur lease]. They said that they will work with Kazakhstan and will develop all the planned space programs. We are facing negotiations with our Russian colleagues because it is clear that time is not standing still, we do not live in the woods. We have somewhere on April 15-20 planned negotiations with them on a number of issues, including promising projects for the coming years." 

On what's important

Tengrinews reported at the end of December 2021 that Russia was going to withdraw from renting 16 sites at Baikonur cosmodrome, they would be given to Kazakhstan by the end of 2022.

"The Russian side has prepared a list of objects of the cosmodrome, unpromising in terms of further use, which includes 16 objects that are now rented by Russia," said a spokesman.

The list included not only real estate, and some of the property has a residual value. 

Before, Dmitry Rogozin, Roskosmos CEO, announced the plans to withdraw from lease unnecessary objects at Baikonur Cosmodrome. Russia does not use these objects and it is senseless to be responsible for them, therefore, "whether it is scrap metal or other materials", they should be utilized, expressed Rogozin's opinion.

The changes in the lease of Baikonur Cosmodrome from Kazakhstan came into force in the summer of 2021.