Russia strengthens scientific cooperation with the Black Sea region

On 3 December 2014, a meeting of Science and Technology (S&T) Ministers of the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) member states took place in Baku, Azerbaijan. The forum was attended by delegations from Russia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Moldova, Serbia, Turkey, and the Ukraine.

   The Russian delegation was headed by Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation Veniamin Kaganov. Mr. Kaganov made a presentation on the perspectives of S&T cooperation in the framework of BSEC, in which he proposed specific mechanisms to support joint research initiatives.

   Forum participants seized the momentum to conduct important negotiations. In particular, Minister of Education and Science of Bulgaria Todor Tanev stressed the significance of cooperation with Russia and confirmed all agreements that had been reached between Mr. Kaganov and former executives of the Bulgarian Ministry. Moreover, heads and representatives of Azerbaijani, Bulgarian. Moldovan, and Turkish delegations also validated their bilateral cooperation arrangements with Russia in the framework of BSEC.

The BSEC S&T plan for 2014-2018 approved at the meeting provides for enhancing bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the framework of the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, stresses the importance of innovations and research infrastructures, and envisages joint participation in national and international S&T programmes, information exchange, as well as organisation of joint summer schools for junior researchers.

Source (in Russian): http://www.strf.ru/material.aspx?CatalogId=221&d_no=91344#.VJQpqdAA