Eurasian Integration Yearbook 2012

2011: Data and ReviewsGeorgy Kuznetsov said the Belarusian government valued the 51% stake inMTS Belarus at $960-970 million.Note:The Belarusian-Russian limited liability company Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) has been providing GSM 900/1800mobile communication services in Belarus since 2002. UMTS-based services have been available since 2010.The founders are the Belarusian landline communication monopoly Beltelecom (51% of MTS’s registeredcapital) and the Russian mobile company Mobile TeleSystems (49%).Other SectorsKazakh-Russian space cooperationJanuary 17, 2011Expert OnlineKazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has signed into law the ratificationof the Russian-Kazakh intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in spaceresearch and the use of space for peaceful purposes, which was signed on May22, 2008.The agreement aims to create the necessary legislation and institutions to supportmutually beneficial cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space. Itregulates the partners’ use of intellectual property, confidential information,export controls and customs regulations. It also provides for tax breaks andpreferential trade partnerships on goods from countries that are not party to theCustoms Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.The implementation of the agreement will facilitate joint space projects, theapplication of joint research and development work, and, consequently, thecreation of a space industry in Kazakhstan. Russia and Kazakhstan will worktogether in Earth remote sensing; the development of spacecraft, launch vehiclesand other equipment; the creation of ground-based space infrastructure; and inother spheres.Kazakhstan signs KazSat-3 agreement with RussiaJune 21, 2011IA Novosti-KazakhstanKazakhstan’s National Space Agency (Kazkosmos) and Russia’s ReshetnevInformation Satellite Systems (ISS) have signed a deal to build the KazSat-3telecommunication satellite.ISS announced that it had contracted Thales Alenia Space, the European leaderin satellite systems, to supply the KazSat-3 communications payload. Thesatellite will be based on the Express-1000N platform developed by ISS and286 EDB Eurasian Integration Yearbook 2012