NASA Chief, Russian Envoy Discuss US-Russian Space Cooperation - Statement

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - NASA Administrator James Bridenstine said in a statement that he discussed US-Russia space cooperation with Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov.

"I was pleased to host Russian Federation Ambassador Anatoly Antonov today for a courtesy meeting at NASA Headquarters to discuss the important space cooperation between our two countries," Bridenstine said in a Twitter message on Thursday.

Following the talks in Washington, DC, the Russian embassy said in a statement on Facebook that Antonov and Bridenstine exchanged views on the prospects for the US-Russia space interaction.

"Both sides emphasized the mutually beneficial nature of the cooperation between NASA and Roscosmos," the embassy added.

NASA has recently invited the chief of Russia's space agency Roscosmos to visit the United States for discussions on bilateral collaboration. Dmitry Rogozin’s visit is slated for early 2019. Bridenstine said earlier that NASA was working on obtaining a sanctions waiver for Rogozin, who has been subject to US restrictions.

WATCH NASA Chief Get Emotional Over Soyuz Launch Failure

Bridenstine visited Russia in the beginning of October, where he praised the successful collaboration between Russia and the United States on the International Space Station (ISS) as a means to improve bilateral cooperation on earth science and share relevant information.