The draft executive order on conducting negotiations and signing the protocol on approving the charter of the Pamir-Chakaltaya International Research Centre has been put together by the Ministry of Education and Science on the basis of Paragraph 4, Article 11 of the federal law On International Treaties of the Russian Federation and the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan to Create and Operate the Pamir-Chakaltaya International Research Centre of August 29, 2008 (hereinafter referred to as the Agreement) that was ratified by Federal Law No 255-FZ of November 9, 2009.
The Pamir-Chakaltaya International Development Research Centre (hereinafter referred to as the Centre) was established to ensure the continued research of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays at a unique facility built in Tajikistan during Soviet times that is located at an altitude of 4,400 metres and contains 1,500 tonnes of high-precision rolled lead sheet with a total cost of over $2 million.
This facility, its support systems, residential and office space, as well as the land under the above property represent the initial and equal contribution of the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan (hereinafter referred to as the Parties) to the property of the Centre.
In accordance with Article 3 of the Agreement, the Centre’s charter is approved by the minutes signed by the Parties, and is an integral part of the Agreement that shall be valid throughout the term of the Agreement.
According to the charter, the Board of Authorised Representatives of the Parties comprising one representative and one alternate representative from each Party shall be the supreme governing body of the Centre.
The board’s competence includes, but is not limited to, approving the Centre’s scientific programme, establishing subsidiaries, including scientific grounds, and representative offices, approving the Centre’s budget and ways of using it, appointing the Director and Deputy Director of the Centre, and creating the Scientific Coordination Board and the Audit Commission.
Scientific research is conducted by the Centre on its own and in cooperation with the research organisations of the Parties, other states and international organisations. The research carried out by the Centre shall be overseen by the Russian Academy of Sciences from the Russian side.
The Centre’s funding comes from the initial and annual contributions of the Parties, funds received under contracts and agreements signed by the Centre, as well as grants issued by national and international research funds.
Membership is open to the states that joined the agreement. An appropriate contract is signed providing for the terms of accession, including property.
In addition, the charter makes the provision for the use of the Centre's property, including the newly created intellectual property, including in the event of the reorganisation or the liquidation of the Centre.
The executive order provides the Ministry of Education and Science with the authority to conduct negotiations with the Tajik Party and sign the Protocol on the approval of the charter.
The executive order seeks to ensure the approval of the charter of the Centre as part of the agreement establishing the legal basis for Russian scientists to engage in fundamental research at the unique experimental test site abroad.