The informal meeting will bring together Education Ministers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, and the EU Member States, and representatives from EU ministries and institutions. The aim of the meeting is to facilitate the policy dialogue on education in the region and to strengthen cooperation with the EU.

Education is of strategic importance for economic and social development in the Central Asian region and the EUs support in this area is greatly appreciated.

The meeting of EU and Central Asian Ministers for Education is organised to promote discussions on current higher and vocational education issues under the EU-Central Asia Education Platform. This will also be an opportunity to discuss EU support to education for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The event is organised by the Latvian Presidency in cooperation with the European Commission and the European External Action Service.

Live broadcast of the meeting on 26 June will be provided on the Latvian Presidency website:

08:20-09:15

Doorsteps:

• Ms Mārīte Seile, Minister for Education and Science, Republic of Latvia
• Mr Andrejs Pildegovičs, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Latvia
• Mr Peter Burian, EU Special Representative for Central Asia
• Mr Marcus Cornaro, Deputy Director-General of the DEVCO

Arrivals/doorsteps by Heads of Delegation; handshakes

Tour-de-table before the meeting

13:00-13:10

Family photo

13:10-13:40

Press conference:

• Ms Mārīte Seile, Minister for Education and Science, Republic of Latvia
• Mr Andrejs Pildegovičs, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Latvia