Since ASPERA started in 2006, partners from Romania, Poland, Croatia, Slovenia, and – quite recently – Hungary have joint our European network of funding agencies in Astroparticle Physics. Consiting of 22 partners ASPERA has become a strong voice in Europe and enjoys a worldwide visibility.
In line with efforts of the European Commission to talk to its neighbouring countries, the question “who is next?” might find an answer in Russia. As a matter of fact, Russian scientists have played a pioneering role in Astroparticle Physics, which in Russia is called Cosmo-Micro-Physics, and in several currently running projects Western European Astroparticle physicists collaborate with colleagues from Russian institutes. It was only a question of time till representatives of ASPERA and the Russian funding and science system would come together to discuss possible ways of cooperation.
A meeting at the Institute of Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Science in Moscow has been organised by Grigorij Domogatsky. At the beginning of November 2009 an ASPERA delegation – guided by the fluently-Russian speaking Christian Spiering who is well-known in Russia and in friendship with many Russian scientists – traveled to Moscow to meet with high level representatives of the Russian funding and science system. Views of the site of the Baikal deep underwater neutrino telescope, located at a depth of 1200 m. Below, photomultipliers are being installed (credits: INR). The meeting was opened by the director of the Institute of Nuclear Research, Victor Matveev who is also Head of Physics Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the ASPERA coordinator Thomas Berghöfer. Introductions on the status of the science system and Astroparticle Physics in Russia by Victor Matveev and Grigorij Domogatsky, who is the chair of the Neutrino Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences, were followed by an overview on the activities of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research given by its president Vladislav Panchenko. >>
| During the discussion, representatives from ASPERA and Russia both expressed their wish to examine a way for a possible participation of Russia into the ASPERA network (Credit: ASPERA).
The following scientific talks demonstrated the high level of the Russian projects and confirmed that Russia and the countries in ASPERA have similar Cosmo-Micro-/Astroparticle Physics research programmes. In a vivid discussion afterwards, representatives from both sides expressed their wish to explore a partnership of Russia and ASPERA such as an associate membership or even a participation of Russia in ASPERA. More explicitly, Russian representatives expressed interest in the participation of future common call activities. Furthermore, several fields of common interest have been identified such as training and education of young researchers, the fostering of applications resulting from R&D developments in Astroparticle Physics, an exchange of experts for peer review, and a further cooperation on Astroparticle Physics projects requiring rare isotopes.
Many of the past and present achievements are connected to large infrastructures in Russia, like the Baksan Underground Laboratory which houses, among other experiments, the SAGE solar neutrino detector, the Baikal deep underwater site with the NT200 neutrino telescope, or large air shower installations in Yakutsk and in the Tunka valley. Russia is also a leader in rare isotope production and one of the main players in balloon and cosmic ray satellite experiments. Last but not least the country is a strong member of experiments located in the West, like the LVD experiment in Gran Sasso, or the double beta experiments GERDA and NEMO. Although this list is far from being complete it arguably demonstrates that both ASPERA and Russia will benefit from closer connections.
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On 6 November 2009, a delegation of ASPERA representatives met with high level representatives of the Russian funding and science system involved in Astroparticle Physics. This was a first step towards closer collaboration. 
