US, Luxembourg Sign Space Agreement

On Wednesday 8 May 2019, Luxembourg and the United States of America signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will strengthen space cooperation.

The agreement, signed by Étienne Schneider, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy of Luxembourg, and Wilbur Ross, US Secretary of Commerce, will serve as an instrument for establishing a more formal dialogue in the space sector, sharing expertise and exchanging information between the two countries.

The MoU will promote the continued growth of the space industries of both countries through new business and investment opportunities and will strengthen coordination of strategies as Luxembourg and the United States lead the international community in their regulatory framework for commercial space activities. The agreement also aims to strengthen collaboration by identifying projects of common interest, for example in the fields of civil space exploration, science, research and development (R&D), terrestrial observation, awareness-raising state of space and spatial communication. Thus, the MoU further facilitates the research, exploration, development and use of space, not only by the governments of both countries, but also by private sector research institutes and space companies. .

Deputy Prime Minister Étienne Schneider said: "The MoU provides a platform from which Luxembourg and the United States can move forward together on collaborations and projects in space. Like the United States, the Grand Duchy is the first European country to offer a legal framework recognising that space resources can be used. The agreement with the United States is another important step in strengthening international cooperation through our SpaceResources.lu initiative."

For his part, Wilbur Ross, US Secretary of Commerce, said, "The United States and Luxembourg share a rich history and shared vision that the future in space is primarily commercial. This MoU forms the basis for increased collaboration across a wide range of space activities, including research, exploration, defence and space trade. It also creates partnerships on important space issues such as regulatory reform and space debris. As such, it covers the widest possible range of space activities that the two countries will undertake in a next major wave of economic growth."

In the afternoon, Wilbur Ross continued his visit with a constructive exchange with Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, during which the latter recalled that the United States has always been an important strategic partner for Luxembourg. In this regard, he emphasised that it is by working together multilaterally, and not in isolation, that we must face current challenges. 

Subsequently, the US Secretary of Commerce met with the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, who reiterated the fundamental importance of transatlantic relations in multilateral fora. Finally, Minister Asselborn, who is also in charge of foreign trade, called on US authorities to work with Europeans not only to set aside bilateral trade disputes but also to support the rules-based multilateral trading system.