OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, in Turkmenistan, discusses minority issues, constitutional and educational reforms

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors visited Turkmenistan from 3 to 5 June 2015, where she discussed a wide range of issues, including the ongoing constitutional and education reforms, the situation of national minorities, and regional security threats and challenges.

In her meetings with Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, Chairperson of the parliament (the Mejlis) Akja Nurberdiyeva and Education Minister Purli Agamuradov, Thors underlined that the reforms should take into consideration the multi-ethnic nature of Turkmenistan’s society. She encouraged the authorities to promote national minorities’ access to education in their mother tongues and to enable them to exercise their cultural and linguistic rights.

The High Commissioner discussed Turkmenistan’s participation in relevant initiatives organized by her office, including her Central Asia Education Programme, which promotes multilingual education across the region.

Thors also had the opportunity to explain her mandate, its role within the OSCE and her recent activities in the region to students at the newly established International University of Humanitarian Sciences and Development in Ashgabat.