Uzbekistan Joins Artemis Accords as Rubio Meets Saidov in Samarkand

The United States and Uzbekistan have agreed to deepen their strategic partnership, covering infrastructure projects, exploration of critical minerals, coordination within the C5+1 format and full-scale cooperation in aerospace. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced this on his official X page after meeting Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov in Samarkand.

The main practical outcome of the talks was Uzbekistan's accession to the Artemis Accords, which set out principles for the peaceful exploration of the Moon, Mars, comets and asteroids. Signed by the two foreign ministers, the document makes Uzbekistan the 77th participating state in the global space initiative launched in 2020 under the auspices of the US State Department and NASA. Saidov said the agreement opens opportunities for direct cooperation with NASA, exchange of space technologies and training of qualified national personnel.

During his working visit, Rubio also toured the historical sites and architectural heritage of ancient Samarkand. The sides confirmed their shared commitment to strengthening stability and sustainable economic prosperity in bilateral relations and across the Central Asian region.