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President Shavkat Mirziyoyev received UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay in Samarkand to discuss the further development of multifaceted cooperation between Uzbekistan and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). At the start of the meeting, Azoulay congratulated President Mirziyoyev on hosting the 43rd session of UNESCO’s General Conference, the first time in 40 years that the event has been held outside the Organization’s Paris headquarters. She praised Uzbekistan’s work in organizing the conference at the highest level and highlighted the conference’s substantive and practical agenda. The session will feature the launch of the UNESCO Regional Center for Early Childhood Education, the presentation of the Beruniy Prize, a special event marking Samarkand’s 3,000th anniversary, and a series of forums on museums, artificial intelligence, gender issues, and more. Azoulay noted that cooperation between Uzbekistan and UNESCO has reached an unprecedented level in recent years. Key initiatives include the joint organization of the World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education, the celebration of Beruniy’s 1050th anniversary in Paris, and the establishment of an international prize in his name. Uzbekistan has successfully proposed three UNESCO resolutions, and several new sites and cultural elements from the country have been added to UNESCO’s special lists. Both sides expressed readiness to expand and deepen their partnership and implement new joint projects in priority areas. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to advancing cooperation in science, education, and culture, and her efforts to promote Uzbekistan’s rich cultural heritage, President Mirziyoyev awarded Audrey Azoulay the Order of “Dustlik,” (Friendship) one of the country’s highest state honors.
