MOSCOW, February 12 (RIA Novosti) – Iran intends to develop space cooperation with Russia, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said on Tuesday.

“We hope that cooperation with Russia will help to further our achievements in this area,” Salehi said after a meeting of the Russian-Iranian inter-governmental commission.

Salehi praised Iran as the only country “out of 57 Islamic states that produces and launches satellites.”

In late January Iran reportedly launched a a bio-capsule with a live monkey into space, which reached an altitude of more than 120 kilometers (74.5 miles) and returned to Earth safely.

Following the launch, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he was ready to become Iran’s first astronaut.