Press-conference at MCC February 28, 2001

 U. N. Koptev

 Let's get started. Since the topic of the conference is clear, let's proceed from the fact that everybody present today is familiar with the information covered in the press. I would like to touch upon 6 issues before I give the floor to all those willing to express their attitude to the subject matter in order to find the truth, which, I am quite confident, is impossible in principle, because a regular technical conference of technical specialists is substituted to a great extent by a political hysterics which fails to take into account real technical, legal or other arguments thus making any professional discussion next to impossible.

 A group of deputes is present today, since, at the last week's Plenary session an appeal to the President was issued which proposed a procedure on the "Mir" station different from the one adopted by the Government. That is why we are especially grateful to them: firstly, for taking joining the conference in order to have a better understanding of the state of affairs in the field of manned space operations in Russia, and, secondly, for agreeing to participate in this discussion.

  First of all I should stress the fact that all the publications and statements concerning the subject in question don't draw upon the legal and legislative basis on space operation In this connection I would like to remind that we have the law which regulates space activity and actually determines the subject matter of the space operations. I would dare to remind that space industry involve any type of space operation (research and exploration in space including Moon and other celestial objects). Space research, space communication including TV and radio communication with using satellite systems, Earth and ecological monitoring, the use of satellite, navigation and topogeodesic systems, manned missions, material production in space and lots of other operations could be related to space activity. To put it point blank, today's discussion lacks some integrated approach to the problem. As you know, the power of each state in space operation presupposes integration of all types of space activity without specifying any one particular aspect however important it might seem because it can't solve all the Government tasks.

 There is something more I would like to draw your attention to - this is Article 4, which states that any space activity in space should meet the requirements for safety and protection of the environment. Russian Federation international responsibility for space operations is recognized, it presupposes a rational, well-balanced combination of space engineering and space technology in the accomplishment of space operations in order to meet research, socioeconomic and defense purposes. If we consider the real state of affairs in our space operation we should take into account all the above stated.

  As to the legacy of taking decisions by the Government: I would like to remind of Article 5 of the Law which states that it is within RF Government competence to approve of normative acts, regulating the procedure of designing, manufacturing, testing and utilization of engineering facilities.

 Russian Federation is a member of a number of international agreements, in particular, Vienna Convention (of March 29,1972) on international liability for damage from space man-operated objects.

This liability prescribes absolute indisputable responsibility for every state in case of damage caused by any space operation. That's why the point stating that 'space activity' is a risky area, i.e. weather there is a possibility of uncontrolled descent for an orbiting facility doesn't make very much se