On the sidelines of the official meetings at the Space Summit in Seville, on November 6, the President of the Italian Space Agency, Teodoro Valente, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Education and Science of Latvia, represented by Parliamentary Secretary Hon. Silvija Reinberga.

For the first time, this Memorandum establishes a legal framework for space-related relations between Italy, a founding member of the European Space Agency, and Latvia, which is currently one of the associated members of ESA.

The agreement provides the framework for bilateral cooperation in the field of space activities for peaceful purposes, aimed at identifying areas of common interest and facilitating the exchange of information and the promotion of joint initiatives.

Among the specific areas of interest for developing such initiatives are micro-nano satellite technologies, Earth observation and related applications, navigation and connectivity applications, space science, academic collaborations, education, training, and networking among businesses.