Russian Economy Minister Belousov to EuroFora on EU-Russia High Tech. cooperation: A lot of projects

*Brussels/EU-Russia Summit/Angelo Marcopolo/- Speaking exclusively to "EuroFora", Russian Minister of Economy, Andrei Belousov, appeared upbeat on High-Tech. EU - Russia cooperation developments, just after being one of the Key participants at the 30rd EU - Russia Summit, together with Presidents Vladimir Putin and Herman Van Rompuy, etc., earlier today in Brussels, which officially decided to launch on 2014 a "Year of Science and Innovation", as confirmed EU Commission's President José Barroso earlier in a well attended but too short Press Conference with many journalists including "EuroFora".

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- "EuroFora" reminded Belousov the recent concrete example of French High Speed Train company "ALSTHOM" with a Russian Railway company, and asked the new Russian Economy Minister how things go curently on EU - Russia High-Tech cooperation, and if there were some even more interesting common Projezcs in this Strategic area focused on the Future.

- "We (EU - Russia) have a Lot of High-Tech Projects", already on the pipeline, positively replied from the outset the New Minister of Economy, chosen by President Vladimir Putin on 2012.

- F.ex. also "with (German company) "SIEMENS", and in the field of Space, etc. , and we aim to extend that to even more" concrete areas, said Russia's Minister for "Economic Development", speaking  to "EuroFore", shortly after EU Commission's President, José Barroso, just confrmed that it was officially decided for  2014 to be declared as EU-Russian "Year of Science and Innovation".

 +Moreover, "I should tell you", f.ex., "that our (Russia's) New Air Plane, SAJ, is a new Plane which must have (at least) + 30 % from EU Companies", Belousov added.

=> "So, we expect that AGS will (really) be(come) an EU - Rusian project", Moscow's new Minister for Economic Development expressed the hope, pointing at the Future.

+ In particular, "preparations for the Launch of the small SpaceCraft "No 1", with Scientific Facilities for Radar Earth Observation systems, have been completed" now.
Earlier Plans to create an EU - Russia reusable Space Vehicle, (mainly after a USA's Shuttle was destroyed at an exceptional incident, some years ago, inciting Obama's NASA to focus more on ISS experiments than in Human Space Flight during the forthcoming years, while also reportedly refusing EU's offers to cooperate on Space Transport : Comp. relevant "EuroFora" Co-Founder's NewsReports, here and elsewhere), had been initially presented, as early as since the 2005 ESA Summit in Berlin, but failed then just because of 1 vote difference between supporters and opponents of the move, (as informed ESA sources told "EuroFora"), while, later-on, some disagreements on how to eventually share EADS' capital in case of Russia's entry had delayed further another attempt in the Past.

But now, in the "Space Cooperation negotiations" between EU and Russia, mentioned by Belousev (comp.Supra), concerning "a Global Satellite systems coperation Agreement (GALILEO and GLONASS)", "the Goals and Scope were Decided" this "December 2012", in addition to the "further Launch of GALILEO Sattelites with SOYUZ from EU's Spaceport in (French) Guyana", (including, f.ex., "on 12 October 2012, a 3rd Soyuz-STB Rocket launch carrying 2 Galileo Satellites into orbit for ESA"), etc.
More particularly, regarding  f.ex.  "Emergency Response Systems to Traffic Accidents", a Deal was prepared "between EU's eCall and Russia's ERA-GLONASS", while "Cross-Border Pilots, between Finland and Russia took place Succesfully  and Suppliers revealed Devices able to combine both systems, whose Legislation and forthcoming implementation is now "aligned", with "deployment" expected "from 2015".

+ On a Wider spectrum of activities, according to supplementary, detailed Data just published Today in Brussels by a jointly drafted and signed "Progress Report"  on the "EU - Russia Partnership for Modernization", "both sides started cooperation to further Link EU and Russian Technology Platforms" for Businesses, while they also "Agreed.. to develop a Strategic Partnership for Research and Innovation", due "to be launched with the start of EU's new Multi-Annual Framework Program "Horizon 2020".

Already, "475 Russian Research Organizations are involved in 302 Projects receiving an EU contribution of around 6O Millions €", while  "19 Research Organizations from Germany, 11 from France, 8 from the UK, along with many others from various EU Countries, participate in 64 Russian Projects", marking an "Increased active role of Russia in EU (RST) Framework Programmes, and of EU Researchers in Russian Federal targetted programmes", ("including Space and Nuclear research"). EU - Russia Summit stressed that such a "very Good cooperation" should "continue" further "in the Priority area of enhancing Innovation, Research and Development".

For that purpose, f.ex., "2 "Umbrella Tenders" for carrying out Scientific Research have been organized, and Projects have been approved in such Priority Fields as "Nano-Technology and Materials", "Living Systems", Rational Use of Nature", and "Information/Communication Technologies", according to the EU-Russia "Progress Report" signed today in Brussels.       

Already, "in the sphere of Telecommunications and Information Technologies, the two sides noted a Progress made in Deployment of Scientific and Research Networks, as well as Data Exchange". In addition, "VEB has (already) issued 3,06 Billions RUB for the Funding of the Project : "Organisation of Industrial Production of Composite Components and Materials", while also, "in the Priority areas of .. Investment in Key sectors driving Growth and Innovation, numerous Projects involving Companies from the EU and Russia are underway and/or planned in a range of Industrial and Technological sectors, Energy Efficiency and Savings, Transport", etc.         ---------------

Belousov, after graduating with honours from the prestigious Lomonosov Moscow State University, worked as Researcher and Director of a Centre at the USSR Academy of Sciences, on man-machine system modelling, specializing in Forecasts, Analyses and Prognostication, before being picked up by Putin initially as Adviser, as early as since 2006, and  Deputy Minister, being appointed on 2012 as Russia's new Minister of Economic Development. Together with experienced Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, comp.  f.ex. Lavrov's brief but topical statements to "EuroFora" at the Deauville "G-8" Summit :   .. , etc.), he was one of the 2 Key specialist participants at this December 2012 EU - Russia Summit, which focused mainly on Economy/Energy and Syria, as EU President Van Rompuy's deputy Spokesman, Preben Aamann, stressed later to "EuroFora", (comp. also another "EuroFora"s Newstory on a differend aspect of this 30st EU -Russia Summit in Brussels).    

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+ Meanwhile, Science also allowed Putin to downplay widespread rumours about a so-called "Doomsday" that some Maya a.o. ancient texts' interpretations located precisely on December 21, 2012, i.e. the same day with this Brussels' EU - Russia summit : - " I do know when the World will End", he joked in reply to Journalists' questions at a previous (and much longer : + 4,5 Hours of Questions/Replies !) Press Conference in Moscow, earlier this week  : - "In approximately 4.5 billion years. . this is because of the life cycle of our sun, ...We are now in the middle of the cycle !", he reportedly explained...