As part of the working visit to the Republic of France, RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan had a meeting with UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany.
The meeting was also attended by ESCS Deputy Minister Arthur Martirosyan and Armenia's Permanent Representative to UNESCO Aram Hakobyan.
Congratulating Khaled El-Enany on assuming office as UNESCO Director-General, Zhanna Andreasyan wished him every success in his new post, emphasizing that Armenia is actively engaged in UNESCO's working groups and remains committed to contributing to the productive implementation of the Organization's strategic priorities.
The UNESCO Director-General expressed his gratitude for Armenia's leadership in initiating the “Education for Peace” resolution, which has recently been adopted by consensus by the United Nations General Assembly. He underscored the significance of the resolution in fostering a culture of peace and strengthening international recognition of education as a key driver of sustainable peace. In turn, Zhanna Andreasyan stressed that promoting the role of education in international platforms is of fundamental importance to Armenia, viewing education as a cornerstone for peace, mutual understanding, and sustainable development.
The parties also discussed the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), scheduled to be held in Yerevan this autumn, noting that various events are planned within its framework, including with the involvement of UNESCO.
Referring to the education sector, the ESCS Minister presented the key priorities of the “RA Education Development State Program until 2030”, highlighting the improvement of the quality of education, expansion of inclusion, advancement of digital transformation, and promotion of competency-based education. She also emphasized the significance of UNESCO's expert support in shaping education policies, particularly in reforming the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector, highlighting the positive outcomes of jointly implemented initiatives.
The meeting also covered the activities of the UNESCO Associated Schools Network in Armenia, as well as the country's participation in UNESCO's upcoming education initiatives, including the “Digital Learning Week” event, scheduled to be held in Paris in September 2026.
Touching upon the cultural sector, the ESCS Minister reiterated Armenia's commitment to the effective implementation of UNESCO's cultural conventions and to the protection of the world's cultural heritage. She informed the Director-General that the process of ratifying UNESCO's 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, is currently underway.
UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany thanked the Minister for the meeting and highly commended Armenia's active engagement in UNESCO's programs and initiatives. He described Armenia as one of UNESCO's trusted partners, highlighting the close cooperation in the fields of education, culture, and cultural heritage preservation.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the parties reaffirmed their willingness on further advancing cooperation.