Russia's upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, ratified an agreement with Kazakhstan Wednesday to use the Baikonur cosmodrome.
The agreement was backed by all the 129 members of the Federation Council present at the session, the Russian Interfax news agency reported.
The agreement grants Moscow the right to lease the Baikonur cosmodrome – 330 miles to the southwest of the Kazakh capital of Astana – until 2050, the Federation Council said in a statement. Russia pays an annual rent of $115 million for the cosmodrome.
The agreement also stipulates the maintenance of ecological security at the cosmodrome, the Federation Council said.
The agreement provides for the creation of the Baiterek rocket and space complex at Baikonur for Angara boosters – new Russian heavy launch vehicles.
Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, has also ratified the agreement, signed in January 2004 by the presidents of Russia and Kazakhstan, Vladimir Putin and Nursultan Nazarbayev, May 25.
