According to a government press release published on Wednesday, economy minister Etienne Schneider (LSAP) signed a memorandum of understanding on a cooperation with the Czech Republic.

In it, the two countries reportedly agreed to consult and exchange views on their positions in relation to the economic, legal, regulatory and technological aspects of space resources for commercial use when they are discussed internationally such as at the UN committee on the peaceful uses of outer space and its subcommittees.

The government did not make the content of the MoU public but wrote that the two countries agreed to “seek a constructive dialogue with other United Nations Member States with the goal to establish a clear and transparent global framework for the utilization of space resources that may lead to new scientific information and knowledge about the solar system and to valuable commercial applications.”

The Czech Republic is the fifth country with which Luxembourg has signed such an agreement after Portugal, Japan, China and the UAE, according to Schneider, who said it was “another important step forward in enhancing international cooperation.”

In 2016, Luxembourg’s economy ministry launched its space resources initiative, aimed at providing a legal, regulatory and business eco-system for private investors and companies to explore and use space resources. As a result, there are now over 50 newspace companies in Luxembourg working in the sector which generates around 2% of GDP.

In September, Luxembourg inaugurated the Luxembourg Space Agency, to oversee management of the space resources initiative. Luxembourg has been a member of the UN committee on the peaceful uses of outer space since 2014.