On November 13, Acting Director of the Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences V.P. Shevchenko and Chairman of the Board of the newly established Kazakh Scientific Research Institute of the Caspian Sea in Astana S.K. Akhmetov signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which will mark the beginning of a collaboration between scientists from the two scientific organizations on joint study of the Caspian Sea. The parties have already discussed promising research areas starting next year.