The second Session of the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) on cooperation between ARE and JINR was held as a videoconference on 7 July 2011. An Egyptian delegation headed by Vice-President of the Egyptian Academy of Sciences Professor Mahmoud Sakr was in Cairo and a JINR delegation headed by JINR Chief Scientific Secretary N.A. Russakovich was in JINR University Center. The Committee discussed the status of cooperation of a half-year, after the start of active work on research projects which were approved on the first Session of the JCC in December 2010 in Cairo. The Egyptian side noted that more than half of tasks on projects had been already implemented, and, according to JINR’s calculations, the total number of man-days which Egyptian scientists spent in Dubna from the beginning of 2011 is close to 500. This could serve a good start having regard to certain political events in Egypt at the beginning of the year which temporarily complicated development of cooperation.

The Egyptian side showed a special interest to the status of projects associated with the modernized IBR-2 reactor. According to this, representatives of the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics V.N. Shvetsov, D.P. Kozlenko, M.V. Frontasieva presented special reports to the Committee. The Egyptian side wished to start applied work on neutron beams as soon as possible.

Special attention was attended to the results of the third Practice for Egyptian students, which was held at the JINR University Center in May-June 2011 and to scheduling of the next practice in 2012.

Generally, both sides were satisfied by the results of cooperation proved by the wish of the Egyptian side recorded in the documents of the Committee to increase contribution of Egypt to JINR as possible. The next Session of the Joint Coordination Committee is planned to be held in February 2012 in Egypt.

Documents on the decisions of the Committee will be signed in a ceremonial atmosphere in the Egyptian Embassy in Moscow on 20 July 2011, during the celebration of the Independence Day of the Arab Republic of Egypt.