ESFRI  Chairman – Assistant to BMBF Director General  Dr. Beatrix  Vierkorn-Rudolf visited the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research on 24 May 2011. A discussion of perspectives of cooperation with ESFRI was held at the JINR Directorate. M.G.Itkis, R.Lednický , N.A.Russakovich, Yu.K.Potrebenikov, D.V. Kamanin participated in the discussion.

The guest presented a wide report about ESFRI activities; she directed special attention to the fields whose development could arouse mutual interest. Dr. Beatrix  Vierkorn-Rudolf got acquainted with experiments on synthesis and chemistry of super-heavy elements at the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions and visited FLNR basic facilities. ESFRI Chairman visited the Nuclotron and was acquainted with the NICA project at the Veksler and Baldin Laboratory of High Energy Physics.

During an interview given to a correspondent of Weekly Newspaper "DUBNA: Science, Cooperation, Progress" ESFRI Chairman noted that the basic target of her visit is to broaden traditional cooperation of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research and EU countries. On the other hand, as a representative of BMBF she said that in the Federal Republic of Germany there are long-term strong cooperated relations with JINR and it would be good to use the current Russian-German year of science, and its activities for further enhancement of cooperation and encouragement of new connections for wider involvement of universities and youth.

Dr. Beatrix Vierkorn-Rudolf also noted that she will inform the ESFRI Secretariat in Brussels about results of her meetings in Dubna, and the next phase of development of cooperation will be a joint EU – RF meeting on reinforcement of integration in the fields of development of scientific research infrastructure which is scheduled for September 2011.

Concrete steps on integration of JINR into the European research infrastructure were discussed at the final meeting at the JINR Directorate. At parting, the guest assured JINR Directorate that the visit made deep impression on her, and definitely would not be the last one.