The Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, Mikheil Chkhenkeli held an online meeting with Krista Pikkat, Director of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Cluster Office. During the meeting, the parties discussed ways to expand the existing cooperation.

Mikheil Chkhenkeli thanked UNESCO for many years of fruitful cooperation in the field of education, science and culture and for the numerous support programs implemented in Georgia. According to the Minister, the Ministerial organized by UNESCO in light of the large-scale crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, where representatives of different countries shared their experiences in pandemic management was truly invaluable. The gathering of scientists, cultural figures, their joint efforts, international cooperation, exchange of information and ideas at various UNESCO-sponsored ministerial meetings has been crucial to achieving stability in maintaining the uninterrupted provision of quality education.

For her part, Krista Pikkat, the Director of the UNESCO Cluster Office, briefed the Minister on the specifics of the Office's work and presented her vision for enhancing the cooperation in various areas.

Moreover, during the online meeting, Mikheil Chkhenkeli spoke about the effective measures taken to promote distance learning at the beginning of the pandemic, noting that the ministry's priority has been to provide effective services to schoolchildren and students. The importance of the introduction of information and communication technologies in educational schools and the need to train teachers were especially evident in the current situation. The Minister emphasized that the support of UNESCO is very important in this process. The parties outlined plans for future cooperation in this direction.

According to the Minister, in order to promote distance learning, the Ministry introduced online education at schools using Microsoft products, in conjunction with launching a large-scale project "TV School" in cooperation with the First Channel. After the students returned to the classrooms, the possibility of choosing a distance learning service was maintained.

The Minister spoke in detail about the introduction of the Microsoft educational program "Minecraft Education Edition" in Georgian public schools, which fully responds to the pedagogical approach of the 21^st century and makes the learning process much more effective, engaging, and interesting.

Mikheil Chkhenkeli focused on the steps taken in the development of science, which is reflected in the support of fundamental research, as well as funding for scientific research related to Covid-19.

The meeting focused on the importance of cooperation with UNESCO in the field of culture, both in the protection of cultural heritage and the creation of tourist routes. Mikheil Chkhenkeli and Krista Pikkat  both agreed that the cooperation in this direction will continue and will be even more active.