Islamabad: The European Organisation for Nuclear Research, known as CERN, has formally conferred its associate membership on Pakistan, following completion of required internal ratification process by it, a media report said on Saturday.

The associate membership will open a new era of cooperation that will strengthen the long-term partnership between CERN and the Pakistani scientific community, Dawn reported, quoting a press statement issued by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC).

Pakistan can now participate in the governance of CERN, by attending meetings of its council. It will also allow the Pakistani industry to bid for CERN contracts.

The cooperation between Pakistan and CERN rooted back to signing of a cooperation agreement in 1994. After Pakistan sought membership in 2013, CERN sent its task force to evaluate the country's science and technology base and industrial capabilities in early 2014.

The task force was mandated to evaluate the membership application on three fronts: existence of solid basis in elementary particle physics, sufficiently developed industries and the will of the national authority to support the basic research.

The CERN task force on all three accounts concluded that Pakistan fulfills the criteria and on September 18, 2014, CERN Council unanimously approved Pakistan's membership application.

(IANS)