US welcomes Serbia as latest signatory of the Artemis Accords

 

An official Artemis Accords signing ceremony at NASA Headquarters.
Source: Handout / NASA via Getty Images

WASHINGTON — The United States has formally welcomed the Republic of Serbia as the newest member of the Artemis Accords, marking a significant milestone in both international space cooperation and bilateral relations between the two nations.

Serbia has become the 69th country to sign the international agreement, pledging its formal commitment to the safe, peaceful, and sustainable exploration of outer space.

The Accords were officially signed on 16 July 2026 by the Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marko Đurić, during a ceremony at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The historic signing was observed by NASA Deputy Administrator Matthew Anderson and US Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Wesley Brooks.

Diplomats from both nations hailed the event as a symbol of a modern, forward-looking era in US-Serbian relations, underscoring a shared ambition to build a safer and more technologically collaborative future.

Originally established in 2020 by the United States and seven other founding nations, the Artemis Accords outline a practical framework of principles designed to govern civil space activity. The guidelines focus on promoting transparency, interoperability, the release of scientific data, and the safe disposal of space debris.

With Serbia's accession, 68 nations have now joined the United States in endorsing these principles for responsible lunar and deep-space exploration. The outreach and international implementation of the Accords continue to be jointly managed by NASA and the US Department of State.