MOSCOW, June 7 (RIA Novosti) - By late 2005 Russia will fulfill its all obligations and deliver American astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) in the Soyuz spaceship, the Roskosmos (Russian Space Agency) deputy head, Alexander Medvedchikov, said at the Internet briefing on Tuesday.
"This year we'll continue fulfilling our partner obligations under the ISS contract. Beginning in 2006, the situation will be either resolved, or worsen," he said, meaning the problem of providing for the ISS service with the American shuttles standing idle.
"It so happens that we'll meet all our commitments by the end of 2005. Negotiations are under way to adjust the document distributing the ISS rights and obligations," Medvedchikov said.
He stressed that earlier the National Aeronautics and Space Administration paid nothing to the Roskosmos for taking American astronauts to the ISS. "No, they paid nothing because rights and duties were distributed between all the ISS partners in line with the agreements. They said that Russia carries to the ISS a definite amount of cargoes, which it does in full volume," Medvedchikov said.
