Agreement with Russia, not yet ratified; does not include the Glonass satellite system: SRE

Arturo Sánchez Jiménez and Agencies

Newspaper La Jornada
Sunday, October 9, 2022, p. 5

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) clarified yesterday that the agreement signed between Mexico and the Russian Federation on space It does not contemplate actions related to the Glonass system, nor is there a forecast that it could be included in the near future.and specified that it has not been ratified by the Mexican Senate or by the Mexican government, so it has not entered into force.

The foregoing, in response to information released by the Russian government regarding the fact that President Vladimir Putin signed on September 28 a law that ratifies an intergovernmental agreement with Mexico, which contemplates placing stations of the Glonass satellite navigation system in Mexican territory. Y an optical-electronic complex to prevent dangerous situations in circumterrestrial space.

Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard published a letter on social networks dated October 8 in which Salvador Landeros, general director of the Mexican Space Agency (AEM) -the body that signed the agreement with the Russian government-, assured that the agreement does not includes the installation of any infrastructure related to Glonass.

In a message on social networks, the Russian embassy in Mexico pointed out that The agreement provides, among other things, for the possible installation of #GLONASS stations in Mexican territory. However, this can only be done if both parties enter into a supplementary agreement.

The SRE specified in a statement that on September 28, 2021, the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation, through its decentralized body, the AEM, signed an agreement between the Mexican and Russian governments on cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes.

This is for the purpose of establishing and developing equitable and mutually beneficial cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space, as well as the practical application of space equipment and space technologies for peaceful purposes, according to the text of another statement issued at the time of signature by the AEM.

The agreement states that the areas of cooperation are: space science and outer space exploration, remote sensing of the Earth from space, satellite communications, satellite navigation, space geodesy and meteorology, study of materials, space biology and medicine, manned space travel. , provision and use of spacecraft launch services, development of technologies and protection of the space environment, including the control and reduction of the generation of space debris.

Currently, the agreement is in the approval process and has not entered into force, both in Mexico and in Russia. In the latter case, the approval of the Council of the Russian Federation (Upper House) is necessary; the signature of the President of Russia; and finally its official publication. In the case of Mexico, it has not yet been sent to the Senate for analysis and, if applicable, ratification.detailed the chancellery.

He stressed that the signed document does not contemplate actions related to the Glonass system nor is there any forecast that it could be included in the near future, and stated that the activities contained in the agreement may not be carried out until it comes into force and the corresponding specific agreements are signed. .