MOSCOW, Jan. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Russia's space agency and its European partner signed an agreement Wednesday on long-term cooperation in the development, construction and use of space launch vehicles.

    Under the agreement signed by Russia's Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) and the European Space Agency (ESA), both sides will participate in the ESA's program to build a launch system for Russia's Soyuz-ST carrier rockets at the Kourou launch pad in French Guiana, the Interfax news agency reported.

    Roskosmos said in a statement the overall cost of the project was estimated at 344 million euros (447.2 million US dollars), which Russia will share around 130 million euros (169 US dollars).

    Russia and the European Union began working on the project in 1998 and the first space launch from the Kourou would be carried out in December 2006, said the statement.

    "Realization of this project will give Russia the possibility of substantially expanding the sphere of use of the Soyuz rocket-launchers on the world market of (space) services, thanks to the Guyana Space Center's location in the equatorial region and, it follows, a qualitative increase in the possibilities for the Soyuzrocket-booster to carry useful cargoes into space," the statement said.

    The agreement also provides for joint work in developing futurelaunchers and new fuels.

    Jean Jacques Dordain, the ESA general director, said after the signing ceremony that Russia will enjoy a special status in ESA aslong-term partner in some areas, including the piloted spacecraft like Russia's new reusable spaceship Kliper.

    However, Russian Space Agency chief Anatoly Perminov stressed that such a preferential status does not imply Russia's immediate entry into ESA. He said a joint working group was set up to removeadministrative or legal obstacles in cooperation between the two partners.

    In recent years, Russia's cash-strapped space program has worked closely with the European Space Agency by launching ESA satellites and carrying ESA astronauts on research missions to the International Space Station. Enditem