Moscow – Russian President, Vladimir Putin, praised U.S.-Russian collaboration in space on Tuesday during talks with crewmen of the International Space Station (ISS) to mark the 55th anniversary of the first manned spaceflight.
“Despite any difficulties that we face on Earth, people in the cosmos are working shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, helping each other, fulfilling greatly important tasks that stand not only before our countries, but before all of humanity,” Putin said.
“This is a very important area of our collaboration with the U.S. and other countries,” Putin told the crewmen via a video linked with the space station.
Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union celebrated Cosmonautics Day on Tuesday, an annual holiday marking the anniversary of Soviet cosmonaut Yury Gagarin’s spaceflight on April 12, 1961, during which he completed an orbit around Earth.
Kopra, speaking Russian, expressed his congratulations on the holiday and described the spaceflight as a historic event. (dpa/NAN)
