On 28 February 2018, a representative delegation of the Republic of Cuba visited JINR. The delegation was represented by Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba Danilo Alonso Mederoz, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Cuba in the Russian Federation Gerardo Peñalver Portal, President of the Nuclear Energy and Advanced Technology Agency (AENTA), Director of the Centre of Applied Technologies and Nuclear Development (CEADEN) Angelina Díaz García, AENTA Assistant Chairman on Economic and Financial Affairs José Luis Dona, International Cooperation Expert of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba Carlos Mendez, Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of Cuba in Moscow Rolando Zayas Bu. In JINR, the delegation was accompanied by DLNP researcher Professor Antonio Leyva Fabelo.

JINR Director V.A. Matveev, JINR Vice-Director M.G. Itkis, JINR Chief Scientific Secretary A.S. Sorin, Deputy Head of the International Cooperation Department A.A. Kotova and International Cooperation Department Expert O.N. Belova welcomed the delegation in the JINR Directorate. At the beginning of the meeting, V.A. Matveev on behalf of JINR expressed deep and sincere condolences on the tragic death of Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Cuba in JINR Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart and expressed his wish on the appointment of a new Plenipotentiary of Cuba in the nearest future.

In the course of the meeting, Mr. Danilo Alonso Mederoz noted successful present development of cooperation between Cuba and JINR in various fields. Further impetus to it may be given by expanding the number of young Cuban scientists sent to JINR to study and acquire skills. He also highlighted that Cuba is now ready to increase this number. V.A. Matveev mentioned that wide JINR opportunities for training engineers are also beneficial. Then A.S. Sorin delivered a short presentation on basic fields of JINR research and applied investigations as well as the JINR basic facilities.

V.A. Matveev invited Mr. Gerardo Peñalver Portal, for whom it was the first visit to Dubna, to take part in the International Conference “JINR: 25 Years of a New Era” that will be held on 26 March 2018 in the frames of celebration of the 62nd anniversary of JINR. The official invitation to this event was passed to Minister of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba Elba Rosa Pérez Montoya as well.

After the meeting at the JINR Directorate, the Cuban delegation visited several JINR Laboratories for more detailed acquaintance with the scientific infrastructure presented. The guests visited the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions, the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, the Dzhelepov Laboratory of Nuclear Problems and then had an introductory tour to the Veksler and Baldin Laboratory of High Energy Physics where they got acquainted with the flagship project of JINR – the superconducting heavy ion collider NICA. The visit was concluded by the meeting with the Cuban staff members working in JINR, who told the visitors about their scientific activities and life in Dubna.

The article about the visit of the Cuban delegation will be available in the upcoming issues of the JINR Weekly Newspaper.

Photos by Igor Lapenko