On September 26, 2024, a meeting with a delegation from the Astrakhan Region of the Russian Federation was held at the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan. The delegation was led by the Deputy Governor and Chairman of the Government of the Astrakhan Region, D.A. Afanasyev. The Turkmen side was represented by Deputy Minister of Education A. Ataev, as well as the Head and Chief Specialist of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan.

The main topic of the talks was the discussion of prospects for bilateral cooperation in higher education. Both parties expressed mutual interest in strengthening educational ties between universities of the two countries and in exchanging experiences in educational programs.

The importance of direct cooperation between universities in Turkmenistan and the Astrakhan Region was emphasized. The representatives of the delegation noted that the development of such ties not only contributes to raising the level of education but also strengthens cultural and scientific exchanges between the peoples.

The Astrakhan side proposed expanding cooperation in the field of secondary vocational education by organizing joint seminars to discuss mechanisms for effective interaction. The Turkmen side expressed interest in developing specialist training programs for key sectors such as maritime and river transport, the oil and gas industry, fisheries, and tourism.

Additionally, the representatives of the Astrakhan Region invited Turkmen universities to participate in the Assembly of Caspian Universities Association, which will be held in Astrakhan in June 2024. The Turkmen side gratefully accepted the invitation and expressed interest in participating both in the academic part of the event and in the sports competitions between student teams from Caspian universities.

Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to further develop bilateral relations in education and professional training, paying particular attention to resolving current issues related to the education of Turkmen students in Astrakhan.

Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan