AfSA and Roscosmos Formalise Strategic Space Cooperation Agreement

On Monday, 18 May 2026, in Cairo, H.E. Dr Tidiane Ouattara, President of the Council of the African Space Agency (AfSA), and H.E. Mr Yuriy Matveev, Chargé d’Affaires of the Russian Federation in Egypt, formalised a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between AfSA and Roscosmos to further advance Africa-Russia space cooperation.

The agreement, concluded after more than two years of consultations and negotiations, strengthens the institutional framework for international cooperation supporting Africa’s growing space ambitions. The partnership focuses particularly on long-term capacity development for African experts through master’s and doctoral programmes, as well as developing strategic projects and infrastructure in key sectors including climate change, agriculture, water resources management, and Earth observation applications.

The signing ceremony in Cairo represents a formal commitment to leveraging Russia’s established space expertise and infrastructure to support the development of Africa’s space sector capabilities and to address critical development challenges through space-based solutions.

Building Continental Space Capacity

This partnership reflects AfSA’s commitment to building strong international collaborations that support innovation, skills development, and the peaceful use of space technologies for the socio-economic development of the African continent. By establishing formal cooperation with Roscosmos, AfSA continues to diversify its international partnerships and create opportunities for African nations to access advanced space technologies, training programmes, and collaborative research initiatives.

The agreement positions AfSA to facilitate greater African participation in global space activities whilst ensuring that space cooperation aligns with continental development priorities and contributes to the development of sustainable indigenous space capabilities across member states.