Türkiye's Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin and Georgia's Minister of Education, Science and Youth Givi Mikanadze signed an agreement on education cooperation in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.
Tekin traveled to Tbilisi as part of an official visit and met with Mikanadze at the Georgian Ministry of Education, Science and Youth. Türkiye's Ambassador to Tbilisi, Mustafa Türker Arı, also attended the meeting.
The meeting lasted approximately one hour and addressed education relations between the two countries, as well as cooperation in other areas. A signing ceremony was held after the meeting.
Agreement signed after 15 years of work
Speaking after the ceremony, Tekin said the parties had been working on the agreement for approximately 15 years and that the signing process had been postponed several times.
Tekin said the agreement aims to strengthen relations between the neighboring countries and carry forward to future generations the good relations whose foundations were laid during the period of the national struggle. He said that as cooperation between Türkiye and its neighbors grows stronger, peace, human rights and democracy in the region will also become more firmly established.
Tekin also noted that strengthening relations and friendship between countries at a time when wars are spreading around the world would contribute to defending global peace.
Joint work on educational institutions and diplomas
Mikanadze expressed his pleasure at the visit by his Turkish counterpart to Tbilisi, saying the visit was important for further developing bilateral relations. He said the visit once again demonstrated the positive cooperation, strategic partnership and friendship between the two countries.
Mikanadze said he had met with Tekin three times over the past few months and that the agreement, which had been under discussion for a long time, was signed through joint efforts. He said the agreement would provide a legal basis for developing education relations between the two friendly and strategic partner countries.
Under the agreement, the countries plan to strengthen cooperation in education, open educational institutions reciprocally, work toward the mutual recognition of diplomas and educational documents, support the teaching of Turkish and Georgian, and expand the exchange of knowledge and experience.
The document is expected to advance educational ties between the two countries and cooperation between their educational institutions. Tekin's official contacts in Georgia are continuing.
