Belarus, Lithuania to cooperate on EU Horizon 2020 program

Belarus and Lithuania plan to cooperate on the EU Research and Innovation Program Horizon 2020. The relevant agreements were reached during the eighth meeting of the Belarusian-Lithuanian commission on cooperation in science and technology, BelTA learnt from the State Science and Technology Committee of Belarus.

The commission is holding its meeting in Minsk. The Belarusian part is led by Chairman of the State Science and Technology Committee Alexander Shumilin, the Lithuanian – by Vice Minister of Education and Science Svetlana Kauzoniene.

A seven-year framework program of the European Union, Horizon 2020, was launched in January 2014. “The focus is on areas such as energy, climate change, new materials, medicine and pharmacy, the areas where our scientists have projects of supranational and pan-European significance and an interest in joint cooperation,” Alexander Shumilin said.

The EU Framework Program for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 is Europe’s biggest initiative of international cooperation in science, technology and innovation. Its budget is nearly €80 billion of funding. The program will involve legal entities and scientists of Belarus. The participation of Belarusian representatives will be financed by the European Commission on the same terms as the participation of partners of the EU member states. In the previous framework program Belarusian organizations took part in 55 projects with the total funding for the Belarusian side of about €4 million.