When will be a new agreement between Russia and the European Organization for Nuclear Research signed? Will be a developing confrontation with Great Britain an obstacle to it? Deputy Minister of Education and Science Grigory Trubnikov spoke about these and other issues to the online media Indicator.ru.

– Why has Russia withdrawn its application for the status of CERN associate member and preserved its special status?

– Russia has been cooperating with CERN for more than 60 years, almost since the foundation of this organization. In 1993, we achieved a special international agreement on cooperation that was signed by Ministry of Atomic Energy and the State Committee on Science and Technology from the Russian party and by Director General on behalf of the CERN International Council from the CERN party. Many things have changed since then. First of all, our departments have changed. Secondly, that agreement was signed on the operating at that time in CERN LEP facility (Large Electron-Positron Collider) and on the planned construction of LHC (Large Hadron Collider). The agreement presupposed only participation of Russia in CERN experiments, no symmetry. Moreover, that agreement allowed preservation and development of the world level of our experience in high-energy physics.

Many things have changed in CERN as well: institutionalization of observers, associate membership and full membership formats took place. There is no doubt that Russia is planning to become a CERN Member in future, it is our global goal and we are working at it. Associate membership we expressed interest in 2011-2013 meant that there were only associate or full membership in CERN, nothing else. Associate membership would have taken us 10-11 million of Swiss francs that would go to the CERN budget and would be used at the International Council discretion. There were no guarantees that this membership fee would be offset by new contracts and orders for Russia. An Associate Member has not right of vote at the meetings of the Council, it can only attend these meetings.

Nowadays, we pay to CERN about 8 million Swiss francs a year but under the condition that almost all this money go for maintenance of activities of Russian scientists working at CERN. The second part of the fee, about two thirds, goes back to Russia in the form of contracts. We do not even send this money to CERN, we invest them into development and production of unique systems in Russian institutes (the Kurchatov Institute, the Troitsk Institute for Nuclear Research and others). This equipment is transported to CERN and is considered as our fee.

Such a scheme is beneficial for us: it loads our science with high-tech developments and allows us to be a full partner of CERN experimental collaborations at LHC. Some states can participate in CERN activities on special rights. There are three such CERN Members at the moment: Russia, the USA and Japan. Of course, we would like to preserve this special status, thus associate membership is not practical for us.

We can just recall our 60-year participation in CERN during which our contribution has become enormous. Secondly, we are renewing the agreement of 1993. Names of departments will change etc. Thirdly, by this agreement CERN expresses its interest in participation in Russian mega science projects.

– How will CERN participate in Russian mega science projects?

– Now, CERN has signed the documents with JINR on its participation in the NICA project. At the moment, only intellectual contribution is considered, they share their developments and technologies that will be used at the NICA detectors. I think in the nearest future, it will shift to participation of CERN staff members in development of our detectors. Our colleagues from CERN express also their interest in participation in development of the electron-positron collider “Super Charm-Tau factory” that is being constructed in the Novosibirsk Institute of Nuclear Physics (it will be possible to work out numerous solutions for correct design and construction of the Future Circular Collider in CERN with a perimeter 100 km). CERN is interested in facilities of the Kurchatov Institute and IHEP as well.

CERN is ready to make contribution into our facilities to make prototypes for their projects. It is the first time in history CERN is ready to participate not only in their own projects.

Everything is developing well, now the draft of the agreement is being considered in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and we hope that at the end of March or at the regular meeting of the CERN Council in June, the agreement will be approved and passed to the CERN Directorate to sign. We are also waiting for allowance of our government. So, I hope the agreement will be signed until the end of the year.

– Will a developing confrontation with Great Britain influence Russian participation in international projects?

– I think it won’t. I am sure that science has always been and will be apolitical. As a matter of fact, international scientific collaborations is the last thing to be destroyed. They are always preserved as long as possible no matter how tough a confrontation is.

Everyone knows for sure that international scientific and cultural cooperation is the thing relationships are easier to start repairing from. We have not had any difficulties in our international contacts yet.

Nowadays, we are discussing with Great Britain development of the joint roadmap for international scientific and research cooperation just like the roadmap for cooperation with France and Germany. Recently, I have visited London to attend the ceremony of closing of the wonderful “UK-Russia Year of Science and Education”, I visited some university centres and unviersities. Our guys who come there for training and then return to Russia are everywhere. There are groups of Russian scientists who work at facilities of Great Britain. Thank God scientists are apolitical!

Source: “Vesti Dubny”