INTERSPUTNIK joint
XLIII
session
of
the
Board
and
18th
meeting
of
the
Operations
Committee
On
June
9-10,
2015
representatives
of
Azerbaijan,
Belarus,
Bulgaria,
Hungary,
Vietnam,
Germany,
Kyrgyzstan,
Cuba,
Poland,
Russia,
and
the
Czech
Republic
met
in
Minsk,
Belarus,
on
the
invitation
of
the
Ministry
of
Communications
and
Informatization
of
the
Republic
of
Belarus
for
the
joint
XLIII
session
of
the
Board
and
18th
meeting
of
the
Operations
Committee
of
the
Intersputnik
International
Organization
of
Space
Communications
(Organization,
Intersputnik).
The delegates were welcomed by H.E. Mr. Sergey Popkov, Minister of Communications and Informatization of the Republic of Belarus. He stressed that the Republic of Belarus greatly appreciated its Intersputnik membership and the mutually beneficial cooperation with the Organization that had been expanding successfully for over twenty years.
H.E.
Mr.
Popkov
emphasized
that
the
resolution
to
join
Intersputnik
was
passed
by
the
Council
of
Ministers
in
July
1993.
Thus,
Intersputnik
became
one
of
the
first
intergovernmental
organizations
the
Republic
of
Belarus
acceded
to
after
winning
independence.
H.E.
Mr.
Popkov
was
convinced
of
the
further
expansion
of
comprehensive
cooperation
between
the
Republic
of
Belarus
and
Intersputnik,
including
joint
steps
to
promote
the
capacity
of
the
new
national
satellite
Belintersat-1
in
the
markets
of
third
countries.
The
delegates
to
the
joint
session
unanimously
elected
First
Deputy
Minister
of
Communications
and
Informatization
of
the
Republic
of
Belarus
Mr.
Dmitriy
Shedko
Chairman
of
the
Board
–
Intersputnik’s
highest
governing
body.
Another
highlight
of
the
session
was
the
Board’s
and
Operations
Committee’s
approval
of
the
Agreement
on
Cooperation
between
Intersputnik
and
the
International
Telecommunications
Satellite
Organization
(ITSO).
Closer
ties
with
ITSO
will
help
both
organizations
share
experience
in
the
field
of
satellite
telecommunications.
Immediately
after
approval,
the
Agreement
on
Cooperation
was
signed
by
ITSO
Director
General
Mr.
Jose
Toscano,
who
attended
an
Intersputnik
session
for
the
first
time
as
an
observer,
and
Intersputnik
Director
General
Mr.
Vadim
Belov.
Within the limits of the approved agenda, the Board and the Operations Committee reviewed a wide range of issues related to Intersputnik’s current operations and prospects of further growth. The delegates heard the report of the Director General on the main aspects of the Organization’s performance in 2014. Despite the negative trends in the currency and financial market resulting from the downfall of the rouble and weakening of the euro versus the US dollar, especially in Q4 of last year, the Directorate managed to meet the targets set in the finance plan for 2014.
Nevertheless,
the
unstable
economic
situation
that
persisted
in
the
Russian
market
in
early
2015
could
not
but
affect
Intersputnik’s
business
and
made
it
necessary
to
update
its
financial
indicators
for
2015.
After
discussing
this
matter,
the
Board
and
then
Operations
Committee
approved
an
updated
version
of
the
Organization’s
finance
plan
for
2015.
Much attention was paid to the development of the international satellite telecommunications system focused on the procurement of Intersputnik’s own satellite resource based on new spacecraft and the maximum possible use of the Organization’s orbit and spectrum resource.
The delegates were informed of progress in the implementation of joint satellite projects and prospects of potential cooperation with new partners to use satellite networks, which remain available. The Board and the Operations Committee upheld steps taken by the Directorate and instructed it to complete current satellite projects using Intersputnik’s orbit and spectrum resource and start new ones.
Invited by the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation, the next joint session of the Board and Operations Committee, timed to coincide with the 45th anniversary of Intersputnik, will be held in the Russian Federation in November 2016.
