President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov held talks with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay via video link. The Information Policy Department of the Presidential Executive Office reports.
Sadyr Japarov noted that Kyrgyzstan attaches great importance to cooperation with UNESCO, and thanked the organization for the technical and advisory assistance provided to the Ministry of Education and Science of the country in switch to distance learning. This made it possible not to interrupt the learning process during the outbreak of coronavirus infection.
The President said that development of cooperation with UNESCO would further improve digitalization of the education system and the quality of education. He reminded that the UN has declared 2021 the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development.
Sadyr Japarov noted active development of creative production in the republic in recent years. Given the importance of this process, he called on UNESCO to strengthen cooperation in this area.
The head of state dwelled on international initiatives of Kyrgyzstan to reduce the negative consequences of climate change and protect biodiversity.
He noted the country’s ongoing efforts to save the snow leopards, as well as preparation of proposals to UNESCO to include the Issyk-Kul Basin in the Global Geoparks Network.
Sadyr Japarov invited Audrey Azoulay to an international conference in the field of higher education, which is planned to be held in September 2021, and also proposed to consider the possibility of her ascent to the 5000 UNESCO peak, located in Kyrgyzstan.
The UNESCO Director-General noted active foreign policy activities of Sadyr Japarov, as well as the fruitful cooperation with Kyrgyzstan over the years of independence. She dwelled on the importance of the organization’s activities, which showed themselves especially clearly during the outbreak of the coronavirus infection pandemic in 2020, when students around the world were forced to study remotely without face-to-face communication with each other.
Audrey Azoulay shared the organization’s plans for implementation of various projects, including development of museums, taking into account modern realities, intangible cultural heritage, natural and water resources.
She accepted the invitation to visit the republic this year and climb the UNESCO peak in Kyrgyzstan.
The UNESCO Director-General also invited Sadyr Japarov to visit the organization’s office in Paris for a full-fledged meeting.
