BRICS leaders oppose arms race in space

Leaders say a legal regime is needed to prevent weapons being stationed there

Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting of the BRICS heads of state and government (via videoconference)

MOSCOW, November 17. / TASS /. The leaders of the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) have spokem out against the arms race in outer space and for the use of outer space exclusively for peaceful purposes.

“We emphasize the importance of ensuring the protection and safety of outer space activities and the use of outer space for peaceful purposes, as well as preventing an arms race in outer space,” says the Moscow Declaration of the 12th BRICS Summit. The document was published on Tuesday on the Kremlin’s website following the results of the unification summit.

The leaders of the five countries noted “the urgent need to agree on a legally binding multilateral instrument that could fill the gap in the international legal regime with regard to outer space, including in the prevention of the deployment of weapons in space and the threat of use of force in relation to space objects.”

“We emphasize that practical transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space (TCBMs), including the Non-First-to-Space Weapons Initiative, can also contribute to this goal. We reaffirm that TCBMs should complement, not replace an effective legally binding regime for the use of outer space,” the document emphasizes.

The BRICS countries reiterated “the importance of strict adherence to the principles set out in the Outer Space Treaty in order to promote the sustainable and peaceful use of outer space for the benefit and interests of all countries. We reaffirm the need to conduct peaceful exploration and use of outer space in accordance with international law in order to preserve outer space for future generations. The use of appropriate space technologies for peaceful purposes will make a significant contribution to the achievement of the Sustainable development,” noted the document.

The leaders also drew attention to the importance of continuing cooperation between the BRICS countries on the issue of remote sensing of the Earth.