MOSCOW, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Russia said on Thursday it will help select and train Myanmar's first cosmonaut in a sign of growing ties with the Southeast Asian state. The offer was made during a visit
Russia to train Myanmar's first cosmonaut after cooperation deal
Russia-Myanmar Space and Investment Ties
MOSCOW, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Russia said on Thursday it will help select and train Myanmar's first cosmonaut in a sign of growing ties with the Southeast Asian state.
Cosmonaut Selection and Training
The offer was made during a visit to Myanmar this week by Dmitry Bakanov, head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, who signed an agreement with his Myanmar counterpart on developing cooperation in human space flight.
Roscosmos said Bakanov also met Min Aung Hlaing, head of Myanmar's military junta.
GLONASS Station and Space Monitoring
Myanmar will deploy a data-collection station for Russia's GLONASS satellite navigation system, and provide a site for a warning system to track hazardous objects in near-Earth space, Roscosmos said.
Min Aung Hlaing–Putin Talks
Investment Deal and Nuclear Project
Min Aung Hlaing visited Moscow last year for talks with President Vladimir Putin, and the two countries subsequently signed an investment deal that Russia hopes will open up opportunities in Myanmar for its energy companies.
Political Context Since 2021
Russia has also contracted to build a small-scale nuclear plant in Myanmar, where the junta seized power in 2021 by toppling the elected government of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.
Reporting and Editing Credits
(Reporting by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
