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.
