MOSCOW, February 9. /TASS/. France, Germany, Italy and China are the most likely to join the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in the upcoming years, JINR Director Grigory Trubnikov told TASS Tuesday.
"We expect the inclusion, accession of several countries, with which we have already signed memorandums of intentions on either inter-governmental or inter-ministerial level. Those are: France, Germany, Italy and China. These are the four countries that were most actively discussing its participation - associated at first and full later - in the JINR in the past three to four years. […] There is a rather high probability that this will become a reality in the next couple of years," Trubnikov said.
He pointed out that all these countries already contribute significantly to the Institute’s operation.
"Germany invests huge resources in our installations, including the NIKE, which amounts to tens of millions euro; China invests equally significant resources. Italy and France are our traditional partners, always been since the 1960s," the Director said.
Currently, 18 states are members of the JINR. Six more countries cooperate with the Institute based on the governmental level bilateral agreements; those are the associated members.