MOSCOW, May 13 (RIA Novosti) – A commission on legislative drafting has approved the ratification of an agreement with Cuba on cooperation in research and cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space, the Russian government website said on Tuesday.
“This is a framework agreement, defining necessary principles, norms and conditions for developing bilateral relations in the sphere of space activity, including in protection of intellectual property rights, information exchange and data protection,” the government said in a statement.
The commission says the agreement is in the best interests of Russia, including the installation of Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) on the territory of the Republic of Cuba. The document will be considered at government session.
The Global Navigation Satellite System, which began operation in 1993, is a Russian equivalent of the US Global Positioning System (GPS). The GLONASS network provides real-time positioning and speed data for surface, sea and airborne objects. Its accuracy is expected to be boosted to one meter (three feet) when used within Russia by the end of the year.
By 2020, Glonass should reach a global positioning accuracy of 60 cm.
The Cabinet of Ministers said the agreement with Cuba needs to be ratified as it contains “other rules” than those defined by the country’s legislation.
The first overseas GLONASS ground station for differential correction and monitoring was launched in Brazil in February 2013.
Russia plans to build 50 GLONASS stations in several dozen countries across the world.
Last week, the Russian government approved bills to ratify space cooperation agreements with Nicaragua and Vietnam, which, among other things envisage the construction of ground stations for GLONASS.
