Minister of National Education Ziya Selçuk met with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama as a part of his official contacts in Tirana, the capital of Albania.
Cooperation in the field of education between two countries was the main topic of the meeting. Deputy Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer, Albanian Education, Youth and Sports Minister Evis Kuşi and Turkey's Ambassador to Tirana Murat Ahmet Yörük were also present at the meeting.
Minister Selçuk also paid a visit to Albanian Education, Youth and Sports Minister Evis Kuşi. After the meeting, Ministers addressed a joint press conference. Minister Selçuk pointed out that Minister Kuşi visited Turkey during January and they signed a new cooperation agreement in the field of education. Expressing his wish that existing cooperation between two countries will expand, Selçuk stressed that working groups and sustainable structures should be formed within this framework.
Selçuk said that elective courses in Turkish and Albanian will reinforce cooperation between two countries and mentioned the importance the activities of the Türkiye Maarif Foundation, Yunus Emre Institute, Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency in the country
Kuşi thanks Turkey for its support
Meanwhile, Albanian Minister Kuşi stated that Selçuk's visit was an important step in the reinforcement of cooperation in the field of education between two countries adding that his meeting with Selçuk was very useful.
Kuşi thanked Turkey for its support including the scholarships given to for Albanian students and restoration of school buildings.
Stressing that he had exchanged views with his counterpart about the implementation of the cooperation agreement signed on January 6 in Ankara, Kuşi stated, "This agreement is the symbol of our cooperation in the field of education. We have completed the legal requirements and we are ready to implement it."
Kuşi also thanked Turkey for including Albanian to its curriculum as an elective course and reminded that Turkey played the role of a bridge between the new and the old Alabian diaspora.
As a part of the agreement signed in Ankara, Albania started a pilot program about teaching Turkish at schools as an elective course.
Following the meetings, Minister of National Education Ziya Sekçuk visited Asim Vokshi Foreign Language School and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Primary School.