Venezuela and China review space collaboration in Beijing

Published at: 05/06/2024 12:03 PM

This Wednesday, the Venezuelan delegation, led by the Minister of People's Power for Foreign Affairs, Yván Gil, held a working meeting, in the city of Beijing, with the director of the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA), Zhang Kejian.

The meeting focused on “giving continuity to the historic space collaboration agreements signed last year between our countries, which include the training of Venezuelan astronauts in China and future missions to the Moon,” the Venezuelan Foreign Minister summarized in an X message.

Also participating in the meeting were the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Asia, the Middle East and Oceania, Tatiana Pugh; the Venezuelan ambassador accredited to China, Giuseppe Yoffreda Yorio, and the general director of the Office of Integration and International Affairs of the Ministry of People's Power for Economy, Finance and Foreign Trade, Eduardo Ramírez.

During the visit of the Venezuelan delegation, they evaluate the progress of the agreements signed at the XVII High-Level Joint Commission (CMAN), held in September 2023, during President Nicolás Maduro's trip to the Asian nation; as well as the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

During the summary of his trip to China in 2023, President Maduro explained that they signed agreements in strategic areas such as space technology. In this context, Venezuela joined the International Lunar Station research project, being the first country in America to join this agenda. In addition, the South American nation will participate in projects to develop the study of deep space and the application and definition of technical elements is being promoted so that it has a Venezuelan volunteer who is the first professional astronaut trained in China.

In April of this year, the sectoral vice-president for Science, Technology, Education and Health, Gabriela Jiménez Ramírez, held a meeting with representatives of the CNSA, in the city of Wuhan, as part of an agenda of cooperation and work developed by the delegation of the Bolivarian Government in the People's Republic of China; which highlighted the willingness of both nations to consolidate the alliances they have had for ten years in aerospace matter.

In addition, Venezuela participated from April 24 to 26, in the first China-Latin American and Caribbean States Space Cooperation Forum, co-sponsored by the National Space Administration of China and the People's Government of Hubei Province, simultaneously with “China Space Day 2024”, in Wuhan. It aimed to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of China and the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean; to expand the areas of cooperation of the China-CELAC Forum and to promote the construction of a community with a shared future China-LAC, through high cooperation.

MPPRE