lain Bensoussan, President of the Centre National d’Etudes
Spatiales (CNES), and Nelson Hadad Heresy, President of the Chilean
Space Agency (ACE), will sign a framework agreement governing
cooperation in space technologies and applications in Santiago, Chile,
on 3 April 2002.

This agreement, which will run for a renewable term of four years,
stems from the two agencies’ desire to work together in space,
particularly for the purposes of environmental monitoring, Earth
observation and space technology development.

The agreement also aims to foster mutually beneficial industrial
cooperation initiatives in space between the two nations, and to
exploit space applications to boost economic, social and scientific
development.

Under the agreement, CNES and ACE will be working together in
astrophysics, space medicine, microgravity, natural resource
management and inventorying, infrastructure development (mapping,
urban planning, telecommunications, etc.), environmental protection,
natural hazard mitigation, satellite navigation, space law and any
other areas conducive to strengthening technical, industrial and
scientific ties between the two nations.

Cooperation may take the form of exchanges of information, data or
personnel, joint studies and joint organization of seminars, symposia
and exhibitions.

A Joint Committee on which both agencies will be equally represented
will be set up shortly to coordinate activities.

Media contacts

CNES Media Relations Phone: +33 (0)1.44.76.76.87

ACE Media Relations Mr Gonzalo Misala
saprensa@defensa.cl