Uruguay Becomes Latest Signatory to the Artemis Accords

Ibadan, 19 February 2024. – Uruguay became the 36th country to sign the Artemis Accords during a ceremony at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters in Washington. Omar Paganini, the Uruguayan foreign minister, signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of Uruguay, with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson signing on behalf of the United States.

Also participating in the event were NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, Karen Feldstein, associate administrator for NASA’s Office of International and Interagency Relations, Kevin Sullivan, U.S. Department of State deputy assistant secretary, Andrés Augusto Durán Hareau, Uruguayan ambassador to the U.S., and Heide Fulton, U.S. ambassador to Uruguay.

The Artemis Accords establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations. Since its establishment in 2020 by the United States together with seven other original signatories, the Accords signatories have held focused discussions on how best to implement the Artemis Accords principles.

Speaking on joining the Accords, Paganini said, “We are honored to have the opportunity to introduce space cooperation as a new chapter in the robust bilateral agenda between Uruguay and the U.S. We are sure that this signing ceremony is not an end in itself, but the beginning of a new bilateral track based on knowledge-intensive activities and new opportunities for our people.”

Likewise, Bill Nelson welcomed Uruguay to the Accords, saying, “NASA welcomes Uruguay as the newest member of the Artemis Accords family. The United States and Uruguay share a commitment to democracy and peace, and now, we expand these principles in the cosmos to commit to the safe and transparent exploration of space.”

The Artemis Accords reinforce and implement key obligations in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, and NASA expects more countries to sign the accords in the months and years ahead.