Friday, 16 June, Vilnius – The Council of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) has taken a decision in favor of Lithuania’s associate membership in the organization.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė welcomes the CERN Council’s decision as a very significant and awaited assessment of national science and innovation progress. It opens up wide opportunities for our scientists and business people to benefit from global experience, contribute to key inventions and accelerate the development of future technologies as well as economic growth.

The President has continually encouraged Lithuania’s cooperation with CERN, the largest research organization in the world.

In the beginning of last year, the President visited CERN and met with Director-General Fabiola Gianotti to discuss conditions for partnership. Soon after the visit, Vilnius hosted an exhibition that invited Lithuanian people to see the CERN collider tunnel.

The European Organization for Nuclear Research conducts unique scientific experiments that can change the future of humankind and employs the most talented scientists on the planet, including Lithuanians. Teachers and lecturers from Lithuania do internship there.

Cooperation between Lithuania and CERN has been continuing for almost a quarter of a century and dates back to 1993. CERN and Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Kaunas University of Technology and Lithuanian University of Health Sciences as well as laser manufacturers Ekspla and Standa are working on joint projects.

Lithuania became the fifth associate member of CERN, joining a group of twenty-two member states and four associate members. Membership in CERN is directly linked to membership in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which places special focus on innovation.

Presently, CERN operates 170 data centers in 40 countries of the world with 2 million jobs on their list.

Lithuania’s membership agreement with CERN will be signed at the Presidential Palace on 27 June.