Online Meeting of the DARYA National Coordination Committee in Turkmenistan: Achievements, Challenges, and Next Steps

Ashgabat, 24 June 2025

On 24 June 2025, an online meeting of the DARYA National Coordination Committee – Turkmenistan was held. The event was organized by the European Training Foundation (ETF) in cooperation with the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan and with the participation of key national and international partners.

The meeting focused on achievements, current challenges, and future steps in implementing the DARYA project – a regional EU programme aimed at promoting sustainable, labour-market-oriented skills development among young people in Central Asia.

The event brought together representatives from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population of Turkmenistan, the EU Delegation, ETF experts, and other stakeholders. The meeting opened with welcoming remarks by:

-Gulnabat Gurdova, Head of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan and National Coordinator of the DARYA Project;

-Katarina Lukaceva, Regional Dialogue and Cooperation Coordinator for the DARYA Project, ETF;

-Georgios Zisimos, Head of Human Capital Development Policy Unit, ETF;

-Borislav Dimitrov, Programme Manager at the EU Delegation in Turkmenistan.

Key agenda highlights included:

A review of the political context and short-term regional priorities, including the outcomes of the First EU–Central Asia Summit (Samarkand, April 2025) and the DARYA High-Level Meeting (Tashkent, December 2024);

Presentation of national achievements and success stories, including Turkmenistan’s experience in implementing the SCAFFOLD methodology and developing its national qualifications system;

A presentation by G. Gurdova on behalf of the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan, covering Modules 2 and 3 of the DARYA project – focusing on qualifications and teaching. She presented progress achieved in these areas and outlined future steps for development;

A presentation by M. Babaeva from the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Turkmenistan on Module 1 of the DARYA project, dedicated to skills analysis and labour market needs. She emphasized the importance of data collection and use in shaping effective employment policies.

One of the sessions was devoted to the DARYA Roadmap and the upcoming Regional Steering Committee (RSC) meeting. Discussions included:

-Mechanisms and actions to strengthen regional dialogue and cooperation;

-Presentation of the Roadmap’s concept and planned activities;

-Coordination tools for aligning regional efforts.

The session was moderated by Kakhaber Eradze, international expert on DARYA project governance.

Concluding the meeting, ETF representatives thanked all participants for their active engagement and constructive dialogue, and emphasized Turkmenistan’s important role as a reliable partner in advancing the DARYA project’s goals.

Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan