12 July 2011, 11:54
Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, calls for uniting the Efforts of Ukrainian and Armenian Scholars
Staying with an official visit in the Republic of Armenia, Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, met members of the Academy of Sciences of Armenia.
The participants of the meeting discussed the place and role of science and scholars. Moreover, they talked about cooperation between the Academy of Sciences of Armenia and the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. It was stressed that academies of sciences keep traditions and authoritative viewpoints on different aspects of modern life.
President of the Academy of Sciences of Armenia Radik Martirosyan stated that such cooperation takes place within the International Association of the Academy of Science which was set up on the initiative of President of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Ye.Paton 20 years ago.
V.Lytvyn supported the idea of uniting together efforts of Ukrainian and Armenian scholars. He reminded that participants of the 5th session of the Inter-Governmental Ukrainian-Armenian Panel on Economic Cooperation resolved to set up a working group on scientific work and research. "We can successfully cooperate in higher education, training of scholars, and joint research," he stressed. The Head of the Parliament also attaches great importance to the cooperation in the humanitarian sector.
R. Martirosyan informed that the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia had recently adopted the law which determines the status of the Academy, its primary tasks, and the role of research scholars in the academic system. The participants of the meeting stressed that sufficient financial support is indispensable for effective activity of the National Academies.
According to V.Lytvyn, Ukrainian laws allocate 2% of the GDP for the financial support of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. However, only 0,5% is actually allotted. "It is too little, of course. However, I see the roots of this problem in the recent primary accumulation of capital in Ukraine and domination of big business," he stated. "There was no interest in the introduction of advance scientific developments, as there was no competitive environment."
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine supposes that science can not develop if is not sought-after. V.Lytvyn stressed that Ukraine has already overcome this period, and entered a new stage: "A stable political basis for state development was set up, young people went in for science, and it is already in demand." V.Lytvyn connects this fact with the development of small business which is interested in the use of advance scientific developments. Scientific areas united into a socio-humanitarian group are also on the rise. "History, philosophy, social and economic sciences are becoming popular," he stated.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine believes that Ukraine will consolidate itself as a state, when the planned reforms are implemented.