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U.S., France sign space agreement

08 February 2011 22:38 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and his French counterpart on Tuesday signed a bilateral agreement on space situational awareness, APA reports quoting Xinhua News Agency.

"These agreements help us mitigate situations by sharing information and pooling our varied capabilities," Gates said after meeting with visiting French Defense Minister Alain Juppe at the Pentagon.

"Our arrangement will foster safety and reduce the chance of mishaps, misperceptions and mistrust. Such cooperation is a key aspect of our National Security Space Strategy," he added.

Last week, the Pentagon released its first National Security Space Strategy, which the department said responds to the realities of a space environment that is increasingly crowded, challenging and competitive.

Juppe emphasized the high level of confidence the French have in their military relationship with the United States.

He said the close cooperation between the two nations allows their militaries to work together from Afghanistan -- where France has more than a brigade of troops working with American forces in Regional Command East -- to space, which the minister called one of the most challenging domains.