On 15 December 2021, the national group of the Republic of Kazakhstan in JINR and the team of the Institute of Nuclear Physics (INP) of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan had a joint festive meeting on the occasion of the celebration of the Independence Day of the Republic of Kazakhstan via videoconference.

JINR Director Grigory Trubnikov, Director of the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions, Executive of the JINR contacts with the Republic of Kazakhstan Sergey Sidorchuk, Head of the International Cooperation Department Dmitry Kamanin congratulated Kazakhstani employees and representatives of the INP on the anniversary of Independence Day.

Grigory Trubnikov in his welcoming speech mentioned that the III International Scientific Forum “Nuclear Science and Technologies” and the 25th International Conference of Young Scientists and Specialists of JINR (AYSS-2021) were held in the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Almaty this year. These two events were significant for JINR. The JINR Director also thanked General Director of the INP, Plenipotentiary Representative of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan in JINR Batyrzhan Karakozov for his personal participation in the Joint Institute’s life and highlighted that 2022 would be the jubilee year of cooperation with JINR for Kazakhstan as an independent state.

“Kazakhstan is actively developing the advanced research infrastructure on its territory,” said Grigory Trubnikov. “The support provided to the Joint Institute by the Republic of Kazakhstan can hardly be overestimated. The President of Kazakhstan always highlights cooperation with JINR when speaking about science. I would like to note once again the caring attitude of all Kazakhstani colleagues to research conducted in JINR. Your ideas enrich our common home on the Volga river.”

General Director of the INP, Plenipotentiary Representative of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan in JINR Batyrzhan Karakozov emphasised in his speech that membership in JINR provides an opportunity to use the Institute’s unique research infrastructure including the NICA accelerator complex scheduled to be launched in 2023. About one hundred Kazakhstani researchers work at all the JINR laboratories. Moreover, in 2021, a range of cooperation has been significantly extended after the launch of the deep underwater neutrino telescope Baikal-GVD. “We hope that the INP-JINR collaboration will enhance,” Batyrzhan Karakozov concluded.

During the meeting, participants noted that the cooperation of Kazakhstan and JINR has a long, very successful history. Now, the Kazakhstan-JINR cooperation continues developing in the fields of accelerator technology in particular. JINR representatives expressed their confidence that this mutually beneficial and fruitful work will continue successfully extending and will bring bright scientific results. The particular importance of being a second home for Kazakhstani employees for Dubna was noted. INP employees received state and departmental awards and badges on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

To conclude the event, representatives of the INP in Almaty received a musical gift from Dubna colleagues. An FLNP junior researcher Meir Yerdauletov and a BLTP junior researcher Bakytzhan Urazbekov played the traditional musical instrument dombra.

The Directorate of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research congratulates the Kazakhstani staff members of JINR and their family members on the Independence Day of the Republic of Kazakhstan and wishes them good health, happiness, welfare, good luck, and fruitful work at our multinational Institute for the benefit of science and progress.