The telegram reads, in part:
“This year we celebrated together the 50th anniversary of Yury Gagarin’s legendary flight. The UN General Assembly declared April 12 as International Day of Human Space Flight. This is a tribute to the bravery and courage of the pioneers, the conquerors of near-Earth space.
In the decades since, over 500 people have been in space, including an astronaut from the UK. Thanks to the work by cosmonauts, scientists, engineers and various governments, global science has made immense leaps forward in its development and we have created unique technologies and devices that are currently serving all of humanity.
I am confident that the opening of this monument in London, a city that Yury Gagarin visited half a century ago, will serve to strengthen the friendship and cooperation between the peoples of Russia and Great Britain, and that new generations of researchers and specialists from our nations will honourably continue the traditions of their predecessors. “