The chief of Russia’s Roscosmos corporation, Yury Borisov, and Venezuela’s Executive Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez have held talks at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center to discuss preparations for a joint space mission.

"We discussed preparations for and launch of a Venezuelan cosmonaut. Few countries enter the club of crewed space flights. Venezuela has expressed its wish to join in," Borisov told the media.

Borisov and Rodriquez also discussed remote sensing of the Earth and communication technologies.

"Our countries share not just partnership, but friendly and fraternal relations. We have always found ways out of any situation. As for cooperation in space, we should give credit to Venezuela as a developing country, which is interested in and implements everything related to space services," he emphasized.

Rodriguez paid a visit to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in the Star City near Moscow on Thursday. The Venezuelan delegation was welcomed by Roscosmos CEO Yury Borisov, Roscosmos Executive Director for Crewed Space Programs Sergey Krikalev, Executive Director for Advanced Programs and Science Alexander Bloshenko, and the Center’s Chief Maxim Kharlamov.

The delegation saw simulators of the Russian segment of the ISS, the Soyuz MS crewed transport spacecraft, a hydrolaboratory for practicing spacewalking skills and a centrifuge. Rodriguez examined the inside of the crewed Soyuz spacecraft simulator.

"Venezuela’s first candidate for a space flight enlisted," Borisov said with a smile.

Rodriguez said the delegation found the training center’s tour very impressive.