MOSCOW, March 20. /TASS/. The decision by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) to suspend cooperation with Russian researchers is politically motivated and unacceptable, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"We believe that such actions are politically motivated and absolutely unacceptable. They run completely counter to the spirit of scientific cooperation," the diplomat pointed out at a briefing.

According to her, the West continues to pursue a policy aimed at inflicting "a strategic defeat" on Russia, in particular by increasing pressure in the field of fundamental science. "All this is clearly bound to fail as it has been repeatedly proven over the past two years. Foreign researchers and companies willing to boost cooperation with our country are the victims of this aggressive campaign," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman noted.

Zakharova stressed that Russia remained open to cooperation with those who were ready to build ties on equality and mutual respect. "CERN’s suspension of Russian scientists is another example of discrimination against our researchers on the grounds of nationality," the diplomat said.

Earlier, CERN announced that it would suspend cooperation with some 500 employees linked to Russia in November 2024. A spokesperson for the Institute of Nuclear Physics at the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences told TASS that Russian researchers working at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) would hand things over to their colleagues from other countries by November.

In March 2022, CERN suspended Russia’s observer status, citing Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine. In June 2022, the CERN Council decided not to extend a cooperation agreement with Russia and Belarus beyond 2024.