"We plan to launch everything from Plesestsk in the future," he said, "but this does not mean that we are going to leave Baikonur."
He noted that large space vehicles and manned spaceships would be launched from Baikonur.
During a meeting with the president, Mr. Ivanov said a Soyuz-2M booster rocket with military cargo was scheduled to be launched from Plesetsk on October 29.
He explained that "M" means "modernized." The minister noted that this rocket was designed by Russians businesses and based on Russian technology.
"This launch vehicle is a dual-purpose rocket," he said. "It can be used for Defense Ministry interests and by the civilian commercial sectors."
He also noted that if the launch was successful, the Soyuz-2M would be used both in Russia and abroad. He said there were plans to use it with France at the Kourou space center in French Guiana, the Minister said.
He also said that before the end of the week, two ships from the Black Sea Fleet would leave for the Mediterranean Sea to participate in a NATO operation to prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
"Literally, one of these days two ships will leave Sevastopol for combat patrolling in the East Mediterranean," he said, "where they will stay until the end of the year and are likely to stay there for a while next year as well."
According to him, the ministry had been suggesting that the two ships be involved in the NATO exercise for a long time.
"Our ships will obviously act strictly in accordance with the established UN norms," Mr. Ivanov said.
He called the Russian ships' participation in the NATO operation the "first pancake."
The minister expressed doubt about the possibility of placing Iraq under UN control.
"I very much doubt that the UN and the Security Council will ever make such a decision," he said, answering a question about if Russia intended to send the peacekeeping brigade being formed near Samara to Iraq if the UN decides to take control of the operation.
