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China, India can cooperate in space programme |
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Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has said that there is scope for cooperation with India in harnessing space for development and other hi-tech areas.
Wen evinced keen interest in India’s space programme during his visit to the satellite centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on the second day of his maiden visit to the country.
“Wen expressed the view that there were a lot of areas for cooperation between the two countries in space and hi-tech areas,” ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair told reporters.
The Chinese premier spent nearly an hour at the satellite centre, where he was given an account of India’s space programme.
An ISRO official said Wen and his delegation were taken around the hi-tech facility, the main centre for satellite development, after interacting with space scientists and officials.
“Our chairman made a detailed presentation on ISRO’s various activities to the Premier and explained how space technologies were being used for various applications,” the official said.
Nair told reporters Wen’s visit would give impetus to efforts by India and China to explore areas of cooperation in space applications. “Basically, it was a sensitisation visit to India’s premier space organisation.”
ISRO has an agreement with the Chinese National Space Agency on cooperation in the application of space for peaceful uses.
Delegations from both space agencies have visited each other’s facilities during the past three years to share experiences.
“Wen was impressed by our achievements and briefed us on China’s space programme as well,” Nair said.
ISRO director P.S. Goel and other space scientists were present during Wen’s visit.
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