Kazakhstan denies reports Russia to leave Baikonur spaceport
The spaceport is used by Russia to send astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).
But Moscow has signalled it aims to pull out of the ISS -- one of the rare projects where Russian cooperation continues with Western countries -- as early as 2028.
That has put the status of Baikonur at risk, with Kazakh media reporting that Russia could give up renting the facility sometime between 2026 and 2028.
"The question of early termination of the lease, or transfer of the city of Baikonur to the full control of the Kazakh side, is not being considered at this time," the Kazakh aerospace industry ministry told AFP.
Russia is looking to accelerate the development of other spaceports located on its own territory, including the more modern Vostochny Cosmodrome in its Far East.
Moscow has not commented on any possible withdrawal.
Baikonur was set-up in the 1950s and has a pivotal place in the Soviet Union's space history.
Yuri Gagarin -- the first man in space -- blasted off from there in 1961, as did Valentina Tereshkova in 1963, becoming the first woman to be sent into orbit.
Moscow pays Kazakhstan $115 million a year for the site.
The current lease is set to run until 2050.
A modernisation project launched in 2004 to refresh the ageing facility is behind schedule due to a lack of funding and uncertainty over its future following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
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