US Visit Of Russian Academy Of Sciences' Leadership Delayed Due To Logistical Issues - NAS

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th December, 2018) The visit of the leadership of the Russian academy of Sciences (RAS) to the United States, during which a cooperation agreement with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) was due to be signed, has been postponed "due to logistical issues and other unforeseen circumstances," NAS Senior Media Officer Sara Frueh told Sputnik.

The visit was scheduled for December 17-18. On Monday, RAS Vice President Yury Balega told Sputnik that the visit had been pushed back to an indefinite date.

"The meeting today was cancelled due to logistical issues and other unforeseen circumstances; however, we will identify a new date and time for the signing of the InterAcademy Agreement," Frueh said.

In late November, Balega said that a new cooperation agreement was expected to be signed with NAS during the visit, with the Russian delegation having planned to visit NASA headquarters.

The sides also intended to discuss the issue of opening a RAS office in the United States.

Scientific cooperation between RAS and NAS is based on bilateral inter-agency agreements, dating back to July 1959. The previous agreement on cooperation in science, engineering, and medical research was signed in Washington, D.C., on April 26, 2015.

The two academies agreed to sign a new cooperation memorandum back in December.