As per decision taken by the council at its first meeting held here on Monday, Thailand will be its chairman. The council has been set up for taking necessary steps to make the organisation fully functional as soon as possible.
Eight countries, Pakistan, China, Iran, Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Mongolia and Peru joined APSCO as its formal members. While five countries Argentina, Brazil, Philippine, Russia Federation and Ukraine to act as observers.
Nouraiz Shakoor, Minister for Science and Technology, who signed the Convention on behalf of Pakistan for establishment of the regional organisation, told APP that it was step forward strengthening co-operation for peaceful use of outer space for the benefit of all mankind.
APSCO, an international governmental organisation with its headquarter in Beijing, aims to promote multilateral co-operation in space technology and its application in the region.
It will formally start operating after ratification of the Convention by the respective parliaments of the member states.
It may be mentioned here that an MoU was signed in 1992 by Pakistan, China and Thailand for initiating the Asia-Pacific co-operation in the space technology. The Minister hoped that the APSCO would emerge as an important organisation for the use of satellite remote sensing data in environmental studies, natural resource exploitation as well as in disaster monitoring and prevention.