The Agency of "Uzbekcosmos"

On the sidelines of the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC-2026) taking place in Antalya, Minister of Digital Technologies Sherzod Shermatov met with Clay Mowry, Executive Director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

The discussion focused on organizing the International Astronautical Congress—scheduled to be held in Samarkand in 2028—at a high level, effectively leveraging international experience, and further enhancing the event's prestige within the global space community. Clay Mowry welcomed the selection of Samarkand as the host for IAC-2028 and expressed AIAA's readiness to provide support in organizing the event and attracting international participants.

Views were also exchanged on engaging the US and international aerospace communities in the Samarkand congress and on opportunities to widely promote IAC-2028 through AIAA conferences, information channels, and industry publications.

Special attention was paid to developing the local aerospace community in Uzbekistan. In particular, the parties explored opportunities for cooperation regarding the establishment of a local AIAA chapter in the country and the engagement of university students and youth in international aerospace competitions and projects. At the same time, issues regarding the involvement of specialists from Uzbekistan in the activities of AIAA technical committees, the enhancement of workforce capabilities in the field of aerospace engineering, and the expansion of international professional connections were also discussed.