President Mirziyoyev awards UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay the Order of Friendship

According to the presidential press service, the talks centered on strengthening the partnership and implementing new joint projects in education, science, and culture.

At the beginning of the meeting, Audrey Azoulay congratulated President Mirziyoyev on the historic hosting of the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference – the first to take place outside the organization’s Paris headquarters in four decades.

She commended Uzbekistan’s large-scale efforts to organize the event at the highest level and to enrich its agenda with meaningful initiatives. These include the launch of the UNESCO Regional Centre for Early Childhood Education, the Beruni Prize award ceremony, a special event celebrating the 3,000th anniversary of Samarkand, and a series of forums dedicated to museums, artificial intelligence, gender equality, and other topics.

The meeting highlighted that cooperation between Uzbekistan and UNESCO has reached an unprecedented level in recent years. Joint efforts have resulted in the successful hosting of the World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education, the commemoration of the 1,050th anniversary of Beruni in Paris, and the establishment of an international award named after the renowned scholar.

On Uzbekistan’s initiative, three key UNESCO resolutions have been adopted, and several new cultural sites and intangible heritage elements of the country have been added to the organization’s official lists.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding collaboration and deepening joint activities in priority areas.

At the conclusion of the meeting, President Mirziyoyev presented Audrey Azoulay with the Order of Friendship – a high state award – in recognition of her outstanding contribution to strengthening cooperation in science, education, and culture, as well as her personal role in promoting Uzbekistan’s rich cultural heritage around the world.