The first in this year extended meeting of the JINR Directorate was held on 14 January 2016. The agenda of the meeting included discussion of the financial situation at the beginning of 2016, readiness for the meetings of the PACs for Nuclear Physics and Condensed Matter Physics, and for the sessions of the JINR Scientific Council, the JINR Finance Committee and the JINR Committee of Plenipotentiaries.

Opening the meeting, JINR Director Academician V.A.Matveev congratulated everyone on the recognition of the JINR priority in the discovery of the new superheavy elements.

Describing the financial condition of the Institute at the beginning of the year, JINR Director, first of all, expressed his confidence that despite the difficult situation in the country, Russia’s obligations to JINR will be implemented; he emphasized the fact that there were no JINR debts. Director paid attention to the importance of the implementation of the major scientific tasks considering the need to reform the payment system and to provide financial support to qualified specialists. In order to avoid budget shortages in case of default of financial obligations by the JINR Member States which face a difficult economic situation, V.A.Matveev appealed to accumulate all extra-budgetary income of the Institute. M.G.Itkis and S.N.Dotsenko took part in the discussion on these issues.

Scientific Secretaries of the JINR Programme Advisory Committees for Nuclear Physics and Condensed Matter Physics N.K.Skobelev and O.V.Belov informed the meeting participants about the programme of the PAC meetings in January. N.K.Skobelev noted that this time the programme of the PAC for Nuclear Physics is scheduled for three days in connection with the need to precise the content of projects included in the new JINR Seven-Year Plan.

JINR Chief Scientific Secretary N.A.Russakovich announced the programme of the forthcoming February session of the JINR Scientific Council, noting a significant block of the planned scientific reports.

V.A.Matveev informed the audience that festive events dedicated to the 60th anniversary of JINR will be held on March 26. The programme includes: the traditional award ceremony, a festive concert and a reception for representatives of the JINR employees and guests of the Institute. The sessions of the JINR Finance Committee and the JINR Committee of Plenipotentiaries were rescheduled for the beginning of April. The session of the Finance Committee will be held on April 1-2; its program will be devoted mainly to improving of financial and economic activities of JINR. According to the plans, the session of the JINR Committee of Plenipotentiaries will be held on April 4-5; its second day will be finished with of the ceremonial part for representatives of international organizations participating in the JINR activities.

M.G.Itkis, D.V.Kekelidze, S.N.Dmitriev, R.V.Jolos and other participants of the meeting took part in debates; they noted, in particular, the importance of further improving of financial accounting and discipline in the Institute, as well as the preparation of the report for the past seven years.