Uruguay becomes latest nation to join NASA's Artemis Accords

Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Uruguay signed NASA's Artemis Accords on Thursday, making it the 36th signatory to the U.S. pact that defines principles for the safe exploration of space.

The accords were signed by Uruguayan Foreign Minister Omar Paganini at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., with dignitaries, including NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, U.S. Ambassador to Uruguay Heide Fulton and State Department Assistant Secretary Kevin Sullivan, looking on.

"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.," Paganini said, according to a NASA statement on the signing.

"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."

Founded by NASA in 2020, the Artemis Accords reinforce prior agreements on space exploration, including the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, and is part of NASA's effort to land the first woman, first person of color and its first partner astronaut, on the moon.

"NASA welcomes Uruguay as the newest member of the Artemis Accords family," Nelson said.

"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."

More nations are expected to join the accords, and Thursday's signing ceremony follows Greece becoming a signatory last week and Belgium joining last month.

The signing ceremony with Uruguay also coincided with the second Annual Bilateral Inter-Ministerial Dialogue between Washington and Montevideo where the State Department said in a statement that the two nations strengthened their partnership.

"Our growing high-tech commercial ties and commitment to democracy are the foundation of our strong relationship," the State Department said.

"Together, we will continue to uphold the principles of the Artemis Accords and work towards a future of cooperation and exploration beyond Earth's bounds."