United States and Russia Promote GPS - GLONASS Cooperation

According to a recent press statement by the U.S. Department of State, the United States and Russia are discussing an agreement that will maintain the compatibility and advance the interoperability of GPS and GLONASS satellite systems for civilian purposes.

Discussions between U.S. and Russian

Federation delegates were held on December 9–10, 2004, in Washington, D.C. The press statement, issued on December 14, 2004, summarized the intentions of the two countries: "Both sides reiterated their commitment to continuing these talks and reaffirmed that the United States and the Russian Federation intend to continue to provide the GPS and GLONASS civil signals appropriate for commercial, scientific and safety of life use on a continuous, worldwide basis, free of direct user fees."

According to the statement, the United States and Russia intend to establish working groups to deal with matters of development and use of GPS and GLONASS. Maintaining compatibility of radio frequencies between each other's satellite-based navigation and timing signals is a primary focus of continuing cooperative efforts. The statement can be viewed in its entirety on the Department of States' website at: www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2004/39748.htm .