Pakistan becomes CERN's associate member

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan today became an associate member of CERN, the world's top particle physics lab for nuclear research, allowing the nuclear-armed country to have more access to the Swiss-based facility's research.

CERN Director-General Rolf Heuer and the Chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission Ansar Parvez signed the agreement here in presence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The membership will help Pakistan in establishing a sustained and institutionalised relationship with CERN, local media reported.

The potential benefits include training of scientists, engineers and students, getting commercial contracts from CERN for local industry, acquiring of old and used equipment from CERN and provision of high profile international projects.

Addressing the ceremony, Sharif thanked the Director General CERN and its Council for recognising the hard work and the capabilities of Pakistani scientists, engineers and technicians, and for allowing Pakistan to become a part of unique and leading institution of scientific research.

"Today's event is also a testimony to the fact that whenever provided an opportunity, the people of Pakistan are capable of standing up to any international standard," he said.

"Pakistan has been a strong participant in CERN's endeavours in science and technology since the 1990s," said Heuer. "Bringing nations together in a peaceful quest for knowledge and education is one of the most important missions of CERN," Heuer said.

"Welcoming Pakistan as a new Associate Member State is therefore for our Organisation a very significant event and I'm looking forward to enhanced cooperation with Pakistan in the near future," he added.