Belarus and Lithuania plan to collaborate on the programme of the European Union for Science and Innovation "Horizon 2020".

Appropriate arrangements were made during the eighth session of the Belarusian-Lithuanian Commission for Cooperation in Science and Technology, reports the State Committee for Science and Technology of Belarus. The meeting of the Commission is held in Minsk.

New framework EU programme "Horizon 2020" was launched in January 2014 and was intended for the next seven years. "Such thematic priorities as energy, climate change, new materials, medicine and pharmacy are in the focus of the programme. It means that programme includes areas, where our scientists have developments with a supra-national and European importance as well as the interest in the organization of joint cooperation," - said the Chairman of the State Committee for Science and Technology of Belarus Aliaxandar Shumilin.

The framework programme of the European Union for Science and Innovation "Horizon 2020" is the largest in Europe programme for international cooperation in science, technology and innovation. Its budget is about 80 billion euros. The participation of legal entities and individual scientists from Belarus is expected in the programme. It will be funded by the European Commission under the same conditions as the participation of partners from the countries - members of the EU. In the 7th framework programme Belarusian organizations participated in 55 projects with total funding for the Belarusian side about 4 million euros.

Materials: belta.by.