YEREVAN, DECEMBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian minister of economy Nerses Yeritsian visited Dubna (Russia) on December 17-18 in order to familiarize himself with the activities of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna and discuss issues related to the creation of a center on nuclear medicine in Armenia. A project "Acceleration Technologies of Production of Radioactive Nuclides for Medicine of Armenia and Regional Countries" has been developed jointly by Yerevan Physics Institute (YPI) after A. Alikhanian and JINR, under which it is envisaged creating a cyclotron nuclear center on the basis of YPI for production of radioactive nuclides and study of allied sciences. According to the RA ministry of economy, as a result of discussions held during the visit, the sides confirmed their willingness to cooperate on creation of a nuclear medicine center in Armenia. JINR will take an active part in all the stages of the process: development, testing, staff training, launching and joint work in new directions. An agreement was reached to establish a congress center in Armenia for holding joint conferences, round tables and schools of young scientists and working out interactive educational programs. The sides also addressed the prospects of YPI's further activity and development and the opportunities of its cooperation with JINR. They confirmed the expediency of jointly developing applied problems of mutual interest, as well as their interest in cooperating at the Dubna special economic zone with the aim of developing the JINR's innovation zone and creating an internatinal center of nanotechnologies of CIS countries.

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