On 13 December, at the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Turkmenistan, a meeting was held between Foreign Affairs Minister Rashid Meredov and Xing Qu, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, Science and Culture. This was reported by the press service of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Turkmenistan.

Xing Qu arrived in Ashgabat to participate in events dedicated to the International Year of Peace and Trust, International Neutrality Day, and the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan's Permanent Neutrality. He congratulated the Turkmen side on the anniversary of its neutral status and noted the importance of the High-Level Forum for promoting the goals of peace, stability and sustainable development.

During the meeting, the high level of cooperation between Turkmenistan and UNESCO was noted. Particular attention was paid to the inclusion of the national nomination ‘The art of breeding Turkmen alabay’ in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The decision was taken on 11 December at a meeting of the UNESCO Inter-governmental Committee in New Delhi.

The parties discussed priority areas for further cooperation and practical issues related to the implementation of joint projects.

The meeting confirmed the mutual readiness to expand cooperation in the fields of education, science and culture, as well as in the preservation of tangible and intangible heritage.