Legal Foundations and Organizational Mechanisms of Scientific and Technological Cooperation between Belarus and Cuba

The Latin America and Caribbean region represents a key area of Belarus’s participation in international scientific and technical cooperation. Scientific, technological, and academic ties with Cuba are particularly intensive. Aim. The article aims to examine the substance and level of institutionalization regarding scientific and technological cooperation between Belarus and Cuba, encompassing the political prerequisites, legal frameworks, and organizational mechanisms involved. Methods. To achieve this aim and address the research objectives, the study employed both general scientific methods (systems approach, the principle of historicism, the principle of development, and statistical analysis) and specialized methods (comparative legal analysis, the legal-dogmatic method, and legal forecasting and modeling). Results. The research identified the subsystems constituting the legal framework for Belarusian-Cuban scientific and technical cooperation, specifically intergovernmental and horizontal agreements. It established the system of organizational structures coordinating cooperation between the two countries, assessed the status and implementation of cooperative projects in the scientific and technological sphere, and outlined prospects for future joint research and development. Furthermore, the study demonstrated how scientific-educational and industrialtechnological cooperation are integrated into the broader framework of Belarusian-Cuban scientific and technical collaboration. Conclusions. The study concludes that, firstly, the development and strengthening of bilateral scientific and technical cooperation between Belarus and Cuba are driven by the alignment of both nations’ interests in expanding the scope of this partnership and incorporating new areas of activity. Secondly, joint projects in fundamental and applied research and their resulting outcomes serve as instruments for bolstering national scientific and technological capabilities, while also acting as prerequisites for ensuring economic development and competitiveness in both countries. Thirdly, scientific and technological cooperation alongside educational collaboration is progressing at a faster pace than the implementation of industrial cooperation projects. Fourthly, the allied partnership acting as a political factor in scientific and technological cooperation corresponds to a mature institutional framework for cooperation that encompasses all necessary legal foundations and organizational mechanisms. Nevertheless, the development and implementation of a dedicated program for scientific and technological cooperation, alongside the intensification of the joint commission’s activities, would give the institutional framework for interaction a fully developed form.

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