MINSK, 9 August (BelTA) – The National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB) will now perform the functions of the reference organization of the International Association of Academies of Sciences (IAAS), BelTA learned from the NASB press service.
In accordance with Resolution No. 269 of the IAAS Council, Chairman of the NASB Presidium Vladimir Gusakov was appointed new IAAS president. The responsibilities of the reference organization were transferred to the NASB. Now the NASB Office is in charge of organizational and methodological support for the IAAS.
The participation of the NASB in the work of the IAAS as a reference organization will strengthen Belarus’ role in the world and will help establish new mutually beneficial contacts in the scientific dimension, the press service said.
The International Association of Academies of Sciences was established in 1993 by the joint decision of the academies of sciences of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Vietnam, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and Czechia. It aims to coordinate the work of researchers and to promote the search for solutions to social development problems; to strengthen cooperation in fundamental research; to harmonize the research policies of academies of sciences; to support the most promising studies; to facilitate the joint use of unique expensive equipment. In 1993-2017, the IAAS was headed by President of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences Boris Paton, and Ukraine was the IAAS reference organization. Now Vladimir Gusakov and the NASB will perform these functions.