Speaking at a meeting held in honour of the occasion, Mr Putin said that this anniversary was a wonderful jubilee to be celebrating.
Some of the great milestones in world history are connected to Baikonur, the world’s first space launch centre. They include the launch of the first man-made satellite, Yury Gagarin’s historic space flight, the first man to walk in space and the first space station.
These successes, this triumph, were made possible by the tremendous work carried out by hundreds of thousands of people from all the republics of the former Soviet Union, Mr Putin said.
See also
Speech at the Meeting Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Baikonur Space Launch Centre
June 2, 2005
50th Anniversary of the Baikonur Spaсe Launch Centre
June 2, 2005