On 25 March, at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, the Minister of Education of Turkmenistan, Jumamyrat Gurbangeldiyev, attended the launch of the Global Education Monitoring Report (GEM Report 2026) and held a series of bilateral meetings. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

During the high-level dialogue, the Minister emphasised the strategic role of early childhood education in the development of human capital in Turkmenistan. J. Gurbangeldiyev highlighted the focus on digital technologies, the development of children’s creative and cognitive abilities, as well as the training and professional development of teachers.

The Minister spoke about joint initiatives with UNICEF, including the launch of half-day groups for five-year-olds from the 2026–2027 academic year, as well as the development of inclusive education and cooperation between schools, families and state bodies.

A meeting was held during the forum with Ezozhon Karimova, Minister of Pre-school and School Education of Uzbekistan. Discussions centred on cooperation in pre-school and secondary education, the exchange of experience in teacher training, the introduction of modern teaching methods, the participation of schoolchildren in international competitions, and joint educational programmes.

Following the meetings, the parties confirmed their interest in further strengthening their partnership and expanding practical cooperation in the fields of education, science and innovation.

It should be noted that the Minister of Education of Turkmenistan also held meetings with the Director-General of UNESCO, Khaled El-Enany, and the Assistant Director-General for Education at UNESCO, Stefania Giannini.