On 24 February 2021, a coordination meeting of JINR and the Arab Atomic Energy Agency was held as a video conference. Vice-Director Richard Lednický headed the JINR delegation. Director General Salem Hamdi headed the Agency’s party.

Richard Lednický told participants of the meeting about successes in the development of the JINR scientific infrastructure over the past year. The parties noted their interest in further enhancement of cooperation and confirmed their intent to implement relevant decisions taken before the pandemic in December 2018 at the previous meeting on the sidelines of the 14th Arab Conference on Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt In particular, the AAEA delegation expressed the intention to open a JINR Information Centre by the end of 2021. Participants paid special attention to the development of a joint programme of long-term internships in the Institute for young scientists from the Agency’s Member States. In particular, the parties preliminary agreed on the mechanism of selection of candidates and reviewing their applications.

At the end of the meeting, the AAEA delegation was invited to take part in the session of the Committee of Plenipotentiary Representatives on 25 March as observers. AAEA representatives were also invited to the Institute in July 2021 for participation in festive events of the celebration of the 65th JINR anniversary, if possible in the light of the epidemiological situation. The JINR Delegation was also invited to take part in the AAEA Governing Council.