RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan received today the delegation headed by the President of the “Saadi” Foundation of the Islamic Republic of Iran Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel.

ESCS Deputy Minister Araksia Svajyan, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Armenia Mehdi Sobhani, and other delegation members also attended the meeting.

Welcoming the guests, Minister Zhanna Andreasyan emphasized the significance of the cooperative and friendly relations between the two countries in various directions, rooted in historical and cultural ties.

Regarding the development of cooperation in the field of education, Zhanna Andreasyan stated that the Action Plan of the RA Government for 2021-2026 clearly emphasizes the importance of studying regional languages at various education levels, in the context of which the development of Persian language teaching is also considered. According to the Minister, 13 Armenian schools offer Persian language instruction. The sides acknowledged the significance of opportunities for the advancement and expansion of Persian language instruction in Armenian schools in line with state educational standards.

The prospects of implementing teacher training and exchange programs were also discussed

Thankful for the reception, the President of the “Saadi” Foundation of the Islamic Republic of Iran Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel highlighted the historically close ties and friendly relations between the two states. According to him, during his visit to Armenia, having been to one of the Yerevan schools, where more than 400 students study Persian, he can confidently assert that the level of language instruction provided here is genuinely based on strong foundations. Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel commended the RA Government's regional language teaching policy, highlighting its role in fostering both language and cultural recognition between neighbouring countries.

Additionally, the possibilities of organizing an online Persian language course and implementing a scholarship program for studying the Persian language in Iran were considered.

The discussion also highlighted the potential for fostering collaboration with RA state universities, focusing on experience exchange and joint program initiatives.

During the meeting, other issues of bilateral interest were also covered, in particular, those, related to the implementation of joint initiatives in the field of book publishing and translation.