On 22 November, an Action Plan for advance of the Republic of Serbia to full membership in the Joint Institute was signed at the session of the Committee of Plenipotentiary Representatives of the Governments of the JINR Member States (CP) in Bulgaria. JINR Director Academician Grigory Trubnikov and State Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of Serbia Marijana Dukić Mijatović signed the document.

The Roadmap on cooperation between JINR and the relevant Serbian Ministry signed in 2019 aimed at a gradual advance of Serbian national status in JINR from Associate Member to full Member State. However, achieved successes in the cooperation enhancement gave rise to drafting the Action Plan to provide an impetus for the accelerated advancement of Serbia in JINR.

“It is hard to overestimate a positive contribution the full membership in JINR can give to Serbia. The Institute does not exclusively carry out physics research. There are benefits for the economy of our country as well since the results of the scientific activity can be used in medicine, innovation technologies, and for other tasks,” Marijana Dukić Mijatović commented on the event and confirmed the readiness of Serbia to make every effort for its speedy transition to the status of a full JINR Member State.

Director of the Joint Institute Grigory Trubnikov in his turn noted wide scientific contacts of Serbian and JINR researchers. “JINR management is fully satisfied with the progress in joint scientific projects and results of the cooperation with the Republic of Serbia. We hope that in a year we will have an opportunity to be glad to see the Republic of Serbia as the 20th JINR Member State,” he highlighted.

The signed Action Plan reflects the readiness of the parties for the accelerated implementation of the Roadmap and includes the consideration of the accession of the Republic of Serbia to JINR in a year, at the November CP session in 2022. The document also contains a number of required preparatory events. In particular, it instructs to produce a report for the Government of Serbia, spelling out the background of Serbia-JINR cooperation and its prospects, as well as to hold a number of working and scientific events.