BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 6. Today, Uzbekistan and the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) signed a preliminary agreement formalizing preparations to host the 2028 International Astronautical Congress (IAC-2028) in Samarkand, following the 77th International Astronautical Congress in Türkiye held from Oct. 5–9.
This was reflected in the statement by the Uzbek Digital Technologies Ministry. The signing ceremony was attended by IAF President Gabriella Arrigo, Uzbek Minister of Digital Technologies Sherzod Shermatov, Uzcosmos Director Shukhrat Kadyrov and Aziz Mukhiddinov, director of the nonprofit Alliance of Artificial Intelligence.
“This agreement marks an important practical step toward organizing and hosting IAC-2028 in Samarkand,” the ministry said.
The document establishes the next stage of preparations for the congress, including ensuring the necessary infrastructure for international participants and developing the event’s program.
Further work will focus on preparations to ensure the congress is held at a high level and to create the conditions needed to host participants from the international space community in Samarkand.
The IAC is one of the major international events in the space sector, bringing together representatives of space agencies, research institutions, industry, academia and other organizations from around the world.
For Uzbekistan, hosting IAC-2028 would provide an opportunity to raise the country’s profile in the global space sector, expand contacts with international space agencies and companies, and promote cooperation in space science, technology and education. Moreover, the event could support the development of Uzbekistan’s space-related infrastructure and create opportunities for local researchers, technology companies and startups to engage with international partners.
