The trip would be part of a technology transfer deal tied in with Malaysia's 900-million-dollar purchase of 18 Russian Sukhoi fighter jets, he said.

"This is the first time that we are venturing into outer space, its a breakthrough," Najib told reporters during an official visit here by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Najib said the program would encourage Malaysians to take an interest in space travel and aerospace technology.

The chief of Russia's space agency Rosaviakosmos accompanying Putin, Yury Koptev, said that the Malaysian cosmonaut would start training "in September or early October".

A space mission would be possible "in the second half of 2005", the Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.

In Moscow, Rosaviakosmos official Sergei Gorbunov said Malaysia's first cosmonaut would form part of a team visiting the International Space Station.

"The question of sending a Malaysian cosmonaut to the ISS on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft has been settled. Malaysia's participation... is an optional component included in the value of the contract for the supply of Sukhoi-30 fighter-planes to Malaysia," he said, as quoted by the ITAR-TASS news agency.

The centrepiece of Putin's first visit to this mainly Muslim nation is the signing of an agreement to supply 18 Sukhoi Su-30MK fighter jets to the Royal Malaysian Air Force.

Gorbunov said that representatives from Malaysia's space agency had already visited the space training center near Moscow.

Malaysia has not selected its candidate yet, he noted.

It was still to be decided what position the Malaysian cosmonaut would have -- flight engineer or space researcher.

In any event the cosmonaut will have to undergo the standard course of training that lasts up to 12 months, Gorbunov said.

SPACE.WIRE