020303

Special Edition

Kazakhstan "Heartbroken" because of Shuttle Columbia Tragedy, President Says

The news of the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy made "all the people Kazakhstan heartbroken", President Nursultan Nazarbayev said in a letter of condolences to President George W. Bush on February 2. President Nazarbayev said he learned "with deep sorrow" of the catastrophe in which 7 members of the international crew died.

"America did not just lose professional astronauts and talented scientists, but also the true citizens of their country", the Kazakhstan leader said of the

astronauts, and on behalf of the entire nation expressed sincere condolences to their families. He said he was sure "that even such a terrible catastrophe, witnessed by many people, will not become an impediment to the development of the grand program of space exploration, in the name of which the

astronauts have given their lives."

Mr. Nazarbayev also wrote a note to Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, expressing condolences with the death of Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut who was one of the seven crew members of space shuttle Columbia.

Kazakhstan, home to Baikonur Cosmodrome, another of the world's major space launching sites since late 1950s apart from Cape Canaveral, has witnessed a number of tragic accidents throughout more than 3 decades of the Soviet space program, in which more than 100 people died.

Currently, Kazakhstan leases Baikonur to Russia and conducts, together with Russia, its own space program.

On February 2, Russia launched its Progress cargo ship from Baikonur to deliver key supplies to the International Space Station as planned.

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For more news and information visit us at www.kazakhstan-embassy-us.org

News Bulletin of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the USA and Canada

(Compiled from own sources and various agencies' reports)

Contact persons: Roman Vassilenko, Aibek Nurbalin

Tel.: (202) 232- 5488 ext. 104, 115, Fax: (202) 232- 5845