On 24 May 2019, President of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology Chau Van Minh visited JINR. The delegation was also represented by Head of the VAST Department of International Cooperation Ninh Khac Ban, Head of the VAST Department of Planning and Finance Le Truong Giang, Director of the VAST Space Technology Institute Bui Trong Tuyen, as well as Plenipotentiary Representative of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the Committee of Plenipotentiaries of the JINR Member States Le Hong Khiem.

The main objective of the visit was to discuss issues of the cooperation development of scientific organizations of Vietnam and JINR as well as issues of holding a set of international events, namely the meeting of the JINR Finance Committee and the session of the Committee of Plenipotentiaries of the Governments of the JINR Member States, and an international scientific conference as well, in Vietnam in November 2019. Furthermore, the guests used the visit to get acquainted with the scientific infrastructure of JINR and had tours around the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, the Dzhelepov Laboratory of Nuclear Problems, and the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions.

In the JINR Directorate, the guests were welcomed by JINR Director Academician V. A. Matveev, JINR Vice-Director M. G. Itkis, JINR Chief Scientific Secretary A. S. Sorin, Head of the JINR International Cooperation Department D. V. Kamanin and Deputy Head of the Department A. A. Kotova, and Advisor to the JINR Directorate M. Yu. Tumanova. Moreover, Vietnamese representatives of JINR took part in the meeting: Head of the national group of Vietnam in JINR Nguen Van Tiep and a BLTP researcher Khoang Ngok Kam. A lively discussion was held about the present state and prospects for the development of the scientific cooperation between Vietnam and JINR. During the discussion, Plenipotentiary Representative of Vietnam Le Hong Khiem made a presentation about the fields of JINR research with the participation of Vietnamese staff members. The parties were pleased to note a growing amount of Vietnamese scientists in JINR. On behalf of the Joint Institute, JINR Director V. A. Matveev expressed the readiness to support the initiative of VAST President to significantly increase scientific contacts and to aid in extending the Vietnamese participation in the Institute’s projects. During the meeting, a special significance of training young highly qualified staff on the JINR basis was highlighted in view of the implementation in Vietnam of a large-scale project on the construction of a research reactor. Moreover, the parties noted the necessity of drafting a plan of the Vietnam-JINR cooperation development in the nearest future in order to provide the key positions of Vietnamese scientific organizations in the long-term Strategy of the JINR development until 2035 being developed now. Such a plan may be drafted and signed at the upcoming November session of the Committee of Plenipotentiaries in Hanoi.

At the end of the meeting, a framework agreement was signed on cooperation between VAST and JINR in the fields of carrying out scientific research, training the scientific and engineering staff, and the exchange of scientific visits. In addition to the agreement, the parties signed a plan for the launch of joint VAST-JINR scientific and research projects.

The visit to JINR was concluded with an informal meeting of the VAST representatives with Vietnamese staff members of the Joint Institute.

Photos by Elena Puzynina