Upper house parliamentary lawmakers have ratified a Russia-Kazakhstan agreement on cooperation in the peaceful exploration and use of outer space.

The accord was signed in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, in May 2008, aiming to establish organizational and legal procedures for working together. Russia's lower house ratified the agreement on May 23.

Leonid Slutsky, chairing the Committee on Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Ties with Compatriots, said the document stipulated principles, norms and conditions covering distribution and protection of intellectual property rights, export control, defense of property and technology, and customs clearance procedures.

"This is an important innovation," Slutsky said.

Moscow and Astana also will sign a memorandum on the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan, Russia's presidential aide Yuri Ushakov has said.

"After the Russia-Kazakhstan talks, due to be held on May 29, Russia and Kazakhstan are expected to sign a package of documents for further expansion of nuclear cooperation," Ushakov said on Wednesday.

The nuclear power plant will be built in Kazakhstan with the use of Russia's technology, he said, TASS reports.

Source: Voice of Russia