On 27 September, an updated version of the Framework Agreement on Cooperation between JINR and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was signed. The signing ceremony took place at the IAEA headquarters within the 66th annual IAEA General Conference. Signatures under the document were put by JINR Vice-Director Latchesar Kostov on behalf of the Joint Institute and Mikhail Chudakov, the IAEA Deputy Director General, on behalf of IAEA.

According to the Agreement, JINR and IAEA are going to actively enhance cooperation and hold joint events for the sake of the interests of their Member States. That is staff training and research infrastructure improvement, operation and use of nuclear research reactors and particle accelerators, including the qualified support in the development of new facilities. One of the cooperation fields will be the use of internet technologies in education and staff training (Internet Reactor Laboratories), as well as the use of irradiation products and radio labelling in industry and healthcare. The cooperation will develop in nuclear physics and the development of nuclear data for reactions caused by heavy ions, neutrons and gamma radiation. In addition, JINR and IAEA will contribute to the spread of information about nuclear field in the industrial sector. They will also promote the use of the INIS document collection.

The IAEA General Conference, in which a JINR delegation takes part, is taking place these days in Vienna, Austria. Representatives of 175 IAEA Member States are taking part in the event. This year, the topic of the Conference is global cooperation in the nuclear field. During the Conference, the Institute’s delegation has held a number of work meetings.