You're reading: South Africa wants to develop cooperation with Ukraine in space area

South Africa plans to develop cooperation with Ukraine in the space area, the State Space Agency of Ukraine has told Interfax-Ukraine.

The agency said that the issue of establishing cooperation was discussed by the sides at a meeting of Deputy Head of State Space Agency of Ukraine Serhiy Zasukha and South African Ambassador to Ukraine Stanley Chupu Matabata.

During the meeting, the ambassador said that the South African Space Agency has been created in his country. The agency is interested in the development of cooperation with Ukraine in the space area, he said.

The sides discussed strengthening cooperation between South Africa and Ukraine.

At present, Ukraine has bolstered its plans for the development of cooperation in the space sector by signing intergovernmental agreements with 18 countries, including the United States, Russia, the European Union, Japan, Brazil and China.

According to the State Space Agency, every year Ukrainian space sector companies sign 400-450 foreign contracts, including 60% with non-CIS countries. Ukraine’s share of the launch service market in the world is assessed at 9-11% in recent years.