Ambassador and Science Minister Sign Bilateral Science and

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COPENHAGEN 000398 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/NB, OES/STC:ANITA EISENSTADT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL TSPL PGOV SCUL DA SUBJECT: Ambassador and Science Minister Sign Bilateral Science and Technology Agreement COPENHAGEN 00000398 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The Ambassador and Danish Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Helge Sander, signed a bilateral science and technological cooperation agreement on September 15. In her remarks, the Ambassador hailed the agreement as opening new doors in the bilateral S and T relationship, building on excellent ongoing collaboration between our science and technology research communities. Minister Sander also emphasized excellent ongoing collaboration and highlighted Denmark's efforts to promote bilateral collaboration networks, including in California. The Embassy appreciates the Department's support in achieving this historic agreement and looks forward to working with the Department and U.S. science and technology agencies to fully implement it. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Negotiations on the agreement began in 2007 and after resolving IPR concerns and visiting the Danish Innovation Center in Palo Alto with members of the Danish Parliament in June, Minister Sander signaled Danish agreement. In preparatory discussions with ministry staff and in a private meeting between the Minister and the Ambassador prior to the signing, the ministry agreed to host the first meeting of the Joint Committee to be formed to support the agreement, in 2010. ¶3. (U) The signing ceremony took place in the Embassy, with a mix of local and one international (AFP) press outlets represented. U.S. and Danish scientists were also invited and joined the Ambassador and minister for a reception afterwards. Ambassador Promotes Research Partnerships -------------- ¶4. (U) In her address, the Ambassador emphasized that scientific cooperation is a USG priority, that the agreement builds upon excellent ongoing S and T collaboration with Denmark, and highlighted mutual interests in working in partnership to address a mix of global challenges. Existing cooperation includes a wide range of researchers and sponsoring institutions, including 350 exchanges by 15 U.S. agencies in the first nine months of 2009 alone. The agreement will build on existing cooperation including MOUs between US NREL and Denmark's Risoe National Laboratory on renewable energy research; between national Geological Surveys; and on groundbreaking Arctic research cooperation she had recently witnessed in Greenland, supported by the National Science Foundation, and involving collaboration with Danish researchers and in cooperation with the Science Ministry's Climate and Polar Unit. ¶5. (U) The Ambassador noted that common challenges confronting our research communities include interest in renewable energy research and development; cooperation on global health challenges, including possble pandemics; cooperation in researching and deveoping immunizations to known and future diseases and also agriculture and food security, another rea where collaboration can have beneficial effets. Full text of the Ambassador's and Minister Saders speeches and the agreement will be posted a https://denmark.usembassy.gov/. Minister Eagr to Deepen Excellent Relationship -------------- -- ¶6. (U) Minister Sander said Denmark considers the U.S. to be "outstanding in every aspect of science and technology" and lauded the U.S. for "demonstrating determination to solve some tof the greatest challenges of the 21st century." Little Denmark would never be able to match U.S. researchers in numbers, but Danish research is in some areas "fully on par," citing renewable energy and disease control in particular. In an increasingly competitive COPENHAGEN 00000398 002.2 OF 002 environment, "access to the most advanced knowledge communities in the world has become more important than ever, and the agreement provides a "framework for Danish students, researchers and companies to access American knowledge, markets and technologies." ¶7. (U) Minister Sander noted that the bilateral agreement with the U.S. was Denmark's fifth, joining Israel, China, India, and Japan. The ministry plans to launch an international networking program in the fall of 2009, and U.S. researchers from universities and research institutions would be invited to participate. The minister highlighted his visit to California in June, where he met with various universities and visited Denmark's Innovation Center (a collaboration with the Danish Foreign Ministry) in Palo Alto, and cited the Danish-California research consortium on food and health involving Danish researchers and UC Davis as an example of ongoing collaboration. He concluded saying the agreement reflects Denmark's "fundamental interest" in strengthening the Danish-American research and development relationship, creating "even better conditions for close collaboration between our two nations." Comment -------------- ¶8. (U) The Embassy looks forward to working with the Department and U.S. science and technology agencies to fully implement the agreement. We thank the Department (particularly OES/STC and Anita Eisenstadt) for its support successfully negotiating this agreement, and preparing for this historic signing ceremony. We look forward to supporting a strong U.S. delegation to the first Joint Committee meeting next summer. FULTON