Prototype of China's International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). Photo: CGTN.
Caracas, April 8, 2023 (OrinocoTribune.com)—Venezuela has been invited by China to join the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) project. This was officially announced on Saturday, April 8, by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil.
The ILRS project was inaugurated in June 2021 by China and Russia, with the aim of setting up a research station in the south pole of the moon. It is expected to be completed by 2028, and to land on the Moon within a decade, according to the Chinese news outlet Global Times. Venezuela becomes the first country to be invited by China to join the project.
On March 30, Marglad Bencomo, executive director of Venezuela’s Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities (ABAE), made an official visit to China’s new national Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL) to discuss potential cooperation. There she met with the executive vice chairman of DSEL, Wu Yanhua.
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Potential China-Venezuela collaboration in space research has already caused some stir in Washington. According to SpaceNews, Victoria Samson, Washington Office director of the Secure World Foundation, an NGO with several US military officials in top positions, commented, “[i]t doesn’t surprise me as China and Venezuela have years of cooperating in space.”
Samson noted that China has built and launched a number of Venezuelan satellites in recent years, and that Venezuela’s participation in the ILRS will be mostly symbolic given the huge difference between the space research capabilities of the two countries.
The Venezuelan government made the news of China’s invitation public through an official statement issued on Saturday.
#COMUNICADO Venezuela es el primer país en ser invitado por el Gobierno de la República Popular China a unirse al proyecto de la Estación Internacional de Investigación Lunar (ILRS), que se encuentra en desarrollo y tiene previsto construirse a partir de 2030 #JuntosHaciaElFuturo pic.twitter.com/WsqSeuLn2Q
— Yvan Gil (@yvangil) April 8, 2023
An unofficial translation of the statement is presented here:
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela welcomes the invitation of the government of the People’s Republic of China to participate in the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) project, thus becoming the first country invited to join this important project, currently under developement and scheduled to be funcional from 2030.
The strategic association between Venezuela and China transcends all areas of cooperation and today constitutes recognition of the efforts that the Bolivarian government has made for the scientific development of our country.
Venezuela views with great expectation the results of the recent meeting held between the Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities (ABAE) and the National Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL) of China.
The government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reiterates the sincere brotherhood, friendship and solidarity that unites it with the government of the People’s Republic of China, with the commitment to continue strengthening the strategic association that has given our countries so many benefits.
Caracas, April 8, 2023
Orinoco Tribune Special by staff
OT/JRE/SC
