A delegation of representatives of the Cabinet of Minister for Innovation and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia visited JINR for the first time on 18 November 2019. Serbia and JINR are currently actively developing scientific contacts, as evidenced by the recently held session of the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) on JINR-Serbia Cooperation, which was marked by the signing of the Roadmap on cooperation development. The current visit of the Serbian delegation could open new avenues for this cooperation.

The delegation was represented by Darinka Leković, Special Adviser and Deputy Chief of Staff, Nevena Bošković, Junior Adviser, and Prof. Miodrag Krmar, Adviser, as well as a representative of the University of Novi Sad who was a coordinator for Serbia-JINR cooperation in 2007 – 2009.

The guests were acquainted with the scientific programme of the Laboratory of Neutron Physics and visited the spectrometer complex of the IBR-2 research reactor. The delegation visited the nanocentre and the DC-280 cyclotron in the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions. The visit of the Serbian delegation was concluded by a working lunch with the participation of FLNP Director V. N. Shvetsov and Head of the JINR International Cooperation Department D. V. Kamanin. The discussion was mainly devoted to the issues of technology transfer and training of the staff for the Republic of Serbia, in particular, in the frames of drafting the project of the construction of a research reactor in Serbia.

Miodrag Krmar told the Institute’s media about the aims of the delegation’s visit: “Nowadays, Serbia considers a possibility to construct the Centre of Nuclear Science, Technology and Innovations, that is why one of the key objectives of the visit was to establish contacts with the Laboratory of Neutron Physics, first of all. It is planned that the scientific activities of the future Centre will be mainly conducted in cooperation with FLNP. Moreover, in the frames of this cooperation, we are going to provide staff training in Serbia. As far as the creation of the Centre is at its early stage, we are now discussing joint research programmes in the frames of the chosen scientific fields. The vast experience of our colleagues from JINR may also greatly help the Serbian party in the development of the equipment of future laboratories of the Centre.

We hope that JINR Director Victor Matveev will visit Serbia on our invitation to continue these high-level discussions and draft particular proposals for the cooperation development.”

The visit of the Serbian delegation coincided with the visit of the delegation from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam that came to JINR for a similar programme. That is why at some stages of the programmes the delegations worked jointly by mutual agreement.

Photos by Elena Puzynina