Mr. Fournier-Sicre said ESA would allocate more than EUR314m for the construction of a new launch pad at Kourou. According to him, France would contribute half of the costs. The European Investment Bank confirmed its participation in the project. Mr. Fournier-Sicre stressed that during his meeting with Yuru Koptev, head of Rosaviakosmos, they discussed technical questions connected with the creation of a next generation rocket.

On November 7, 2004, Russia and France signed an agreement on the launch of Soyuz rockets from the Kourou base in French Guiana, owned by ESA. The agreement, signed by French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Boris Alyoshin, envisages the construction of a new launchpad at Kourou.

The launch of the first Soyuz rocket from the Kourou pad is scheduled for early 2006. This will give Rosaviakosmos a significant advantage due to Kourou's proximity to the equator, which means that less fuel is required for a launch, due to the boost provided by the Earth's rotation.