Turkmenistan's Ambassador to Belgium, Sapar Palvanov, met with Normunds Popens, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission's Directorate for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC). This was reported by the Turkmen diplomatic mission in Brussels.

During the talks, the parties discussed prospects for deepening cooperation between Turkmenistan and the European Union in education, youth policy, and cultural interaction. Participants noted that elevating EU-Central Asia relations to a strategic level opens up additional opportunities for expanding bilateral ties.

The ambassador emphasized that human capital development is a priority of Turkmenistan's state policy. He noted that the country is consistently modernizing its education system: a number of universities have introduced multi-level training programs based on undergraduate and graduate programs, which is an important step toward integrating into the global educational space.

The Turkmen side expressed interest in European approaches to ensuring educational quality, academic mobility, the credit-modular system, digitalization of the educational process, and university management models. The parties discussed expanding the participation of Turkmen universities and youth organizations in European programs, including academic exchanges and joint projects in high technology, digital transformation, and the green economy.

Special attention was paid to youth policy, including the development of leadership programs, digital and entrepreneurial skills, and the exchange of experience in promoting youth employment.

Following the meeting, the parties confirmed their mutual interest in institutionally developing cooperation and their readiness to continue a systemic dialogue to implement specific joint initiatives.