Ukrainian Minister of Education and Science Lilia Hrynevych has said that Ukraine will become an associate member of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in October after paying a membership fee.

"In October of this year after paying an official membership fee, Ukraine will become an associate member of the European Organization for Nuclear Research," the press service of the Education and Science Ministry quoted Hrynevych as saying during her visit to CERN.

The report said that having acquired an associate member status, Ukraine will be able to join the creation of new materials, the development and introduction of new computing and information technologies, the development of grid computing, will be able to send young researchers for training and continue cooperation in the framework of research projects.

"On the one hand, Ukraine becomes an associate member of CERN, which allows it to pay much lower fees than the member states. On the other hand, Ukraine will be able to participate in all forms of scientific co-operation open to full members of the organization," the education minister said.

Ukrainian research institutions and enterprises will be able to participate in tenders held by CERN and get orders for manufacturing high-tech equipment.

The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) is the world's largest laboratory for particle physics. It is situated in Switzerland on the border with France. CERN hosts the Large Hadron Collider - the largest experimental particle accelerator.

Some 103 Ukrainian scientists are currently working there.

On October 3, 2013, Ukraine signed an agreement on associate membership in CERN. The agreement was ratified, but the process of notification of the parties about the completion of the procedures has not yet taken place and Ukraine and has not yet paid its membership fee of CHF 1 million.