Press releases

MINSK, 26 June (BelTA) – Belarus has received the status of the associate member of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), Aleksei Gaidashov, deputy head of the National Center of Polar Research at the NASB, head of the 10th Belarusian Antarctic expedition, told the media, BelTA has learned.

“I am happy to announce that on 25 June 2018 the SCAR adopted a unanimous decision to award Belarus represented by the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB) the status of associate member of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. The long-term teamwork of the NASB has been appreciated by the international Antarctic community. This enhances the country’s scientific status among the countries-Antarctic explorers and will open up new opportunities in the development of international scientific cooperation in Antarctica,” Aleksei Gaidashov said.

The status of the SCAR associate member will give an opportunity to the NASB scientists to take part in the development of the priorities for international Antarctic research, have direct access to the best results on Antarctic research. The SCAR can help scientists promote the implementation of the national Antarctic research program, establish scientific ties, cooperation and partnerships with research programs and scientists from other countries. It is expected that the SCAR will also provide an opportunity to Belarus to present the first Antarctic research results and will assist in building up the scientific and technical capacity for the successful implementation of the national Antarctic program.

The access to the SCAR capabilities such as scholarships for young scientists, scientific exchanges, databases and Antarctic knowledge developed by the scientists of different countries is very important for Belarus. So is the participation in international Antarctic projects. Belarus will also seek to establish, through SCAR, cooperation with scientific communities from other countries, participate in the research on Antarctic stations using equipment of other countries.

Belarus plans to take an active part in the work of scientific groups, research programs, expert groups and other communities in the SCAR. Belarus is ready to receive, within the scope of its capacities, scientists and specialists from other countries, provide other technical and scientific resources for research on Antarctica.

Belarus is preparing a package of documents to obtain the status of a consultative party under the Antarctic Treaty in 2019-2020. Holding membership in the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) is one of the most important criteria of compliance with the consultative party status.