French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin on Monday signed documents on launching Russia's Soyus rockets from French Guyana, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.

The four documents, which had earlier signed by the European Investment Bank, the European Space Agency and other parties involved, were based on the Russian-European deal on long-term cooperation of commercial space launches signed in January.

The European Investment Bank has issued a loan for the project,and the first rocket will be launched in 2007.

The Kourou space center in French Guyana is regarded an optimalvenue as its proximity to the equator allows the Soyus to carry heavier cargoes to higher orbits with less fuel. Russia had used the Baikonur cosmodrome of Kazakhstan.

Source: Xinhua