The 2nd All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference with International Participation on Space Law, “Zhukovsky Space Readings”, was held at Patrice Lumumba Russian University of Peoples’ Friendship in Moscow on November 22, 2025. The conference brought together scholars, educators, postgraduate students, undergraduates, and specialists in the field of international space law.
The business program featured five round tables and a foresight session on the following topics:
- Regulation of Space Activities in Latin American Countries;
- International Legal Regulation of Space Traffic Management;
- Legal Methods and Means for Preventing the Generation of, and Combating, Space Debris on Earth, in Outer Space, and on Celestial Bodies;
- Legal Aspects of the Exploration, Extraction, and Use of Space Resources from Celestial Bodies;
- Legal Aspects of the Operation of Cosmodromes and Other Space Platforms;
- Foresight Session: "The Lunar Economy – Assessing Prospects."
CIS Deputy Secretary-General Ilkhom Nematov delivered a welcoming address at the plenary session on behalf of the CIS Executive Committee. He notably stated:
“Today, we can say with great confidence and pride that cooperation in space exploration for the CIS Member States rests on a solid historical foundation, comprising a shared school of space research and long-standing scientific and industrial ties that originated back in the Soviet era.
The exceptionally high level of development of the national cosmonautics of that time, and the extensive research and production links established then between the republics of the former USSR, still form the basis for the continuation of our interaction.
The CIS Member States, recognizing the need to combine efforts for the effective use of outer space in the interests of their national economies, science, and defense capabilities, and reaffirming the need for strict compliance with the international obligations previously undertaken by the USSR in this area, signed the Agreement on Joint Activities in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space as early as December 30, 1991. This Agreement also stipulated that the implementation of interstate programs for the exploration and use of outer space would be coordinated by the Interstate Space Council, formed from the plenipotentiary representatives of the states party to the Agreement”.
CIS Deputy Secretary-General mentioned the Commonwealth of Independent States Convention on Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes of September 28, 2018, which clearly formulates the goals of cooperation for the signatory states.
In order to establish the legal and organizational foundations for multilateral cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes and to facilitate the creation of a legal framework for developing and concluding agreements and other arrangements within the Commonwealth on specific areas of joint space activity, the Agreement on Conducting Joint Activities of the CIS Member States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes was signed on November 2, 2018.
Ilkhom Nematov also emphasized that the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes, along with the legal regulation of these processes, are vital conditions for the development of states. They contribute to solving scientific, economic social tasks aimed at ensuring further development, ultimately reflecting in the increased well-being and quality of life of their citizens.