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16:04 GMT
PARIS, May 5 (KUNA) -- French President Emmanuel Macron announced Monday a EUR 100 million (USD 113 million) government initiative to attract foreign researchers, particularly from the United States, amid the US cuts to science funding and visas.
Speaking at the launch of the international conference "Choose Europe for Science" in Paris, Macron emphasized France's ambition to become a global center for research and innovation, stating that the funds would be distributed through the "France 2030" investment plan.
On her part, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, revealed at the event that a separate EUR 500 million (USD 567 million) incentive package over seven years aimed at making the EU a "magnet for researchers."
It would also be injected into the European Research Council, which already has a budget of more than 16 billion euros (USD18 billion) for 2021-2027.
Von der Leyen reaffirmed the EU's goal of dedicating three percent of GDP to research and development by 2030. (pickup previous)
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