Slovenia becomes 23rd ESA Member State

The Agreement on Slovenia’s accession to the ESA Convention was signed on 18 June 2024, by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia Dr Robert Golob and ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher. 

Other government officials and representatives of ESA and the Slovenian space sector attended the ceremony, including ESA Council Chair Renato Krpoun, the State Secretary of the Slovenian Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sport Matevž Frangež, the Head of the Slovenian Space Office and delegation to ESA Tanja Permozer, and the Slovenian ambassador to France HE Metka Ipavic.

Following this signing, the process of ratification by the Slovenian government began. This process was concluded on 1 January, when Slovenia deposited its instrument of ratification of the ESA Convention in Paris to become an official ESA Member State.

Slovenia has been working with ESA since 2008, when it signed a first Cooperation Agreement, followed by a European Cooperation Agreement. This cooperation was strengthened with its accession to associate membership in July 2016, which it upgraded in 2020 with a new Agreement for an enhanced association.