MINSK, 21 August (BelTA) – The National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB) and the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) will set up an inter-academic council that will address environmental issues and deal with protection of Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Vladimir Gusakov said at session to discuss cooperation with the Polish Academy of Sciences, BelTA learned from the NASB press service.
Taking part in the session was a delegation of the Polish Academy of Sciences led by its President Professor Jerzy Duszynski. According to Vladimir Gusakov, cooperation with Poland is of particular importance for the NASB, as Poland is a country with significant scientific and economic potential and Belarus has built strong ties with it in all the areas, including science and technology. The establishment of a joint standing council will allow promptly addressing routine and pressing environmental issues.
Researchers from the NASB and the PAN jointly participate in various international exhibitions, regularly hold international forums and conferences. The joint sci-tech projects they run are very important for the economy of Poland and Belarus. “However, this collaboration lags behind its true potential,” Vladimir Gusakov believes.
The president of the Polish Academy of Sciences emphasized that contacts with Belarusian researchers are of great value. The two countries face common issues. One of them is preservation of Belovezhskaya Pushcha which is a national asset of Belarus and Poland. Climate change is another area of concern.
The parties agreed that the inter-academic council will prioritize Belovezhskaya Pushcha flora and fauna conservation and climate change mitigation. In the future it might also address other issues, which will facilitate academic partnerships between the two states. The heads of the two academies of sciences pointed to considerable potential for building ties across various fields of expertise. They also discussed a possibility to implement joint projects as part of Horizon 2020, the EU's research and innovation program, and to hold joint events every year.
The president of the Polish Academy of Sciences was awarded the Ignatovsky Badge of Honor by the NASB.
The Polish delegation is on a visit to Belarus on 20-23 August. The primary goal of the visit is participation in the session “On promising areas and mechanisms of research and innovation collaborations with the Polish Academy of Sciences”. On 21 August the Polish delegation was offered an excursion of the NASB Museum and held talks with senior officials of the NASB. On 22-23 August they will tour a number of research agencies under the umbrella of the NASB: the Institute of Genetics and Cytology, the Central Botanical Garden, and the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry.
