On January 15, 2026, in Paris, at the UNESCO headquarters, the first meeting took place between the new UNESCO Director-General Khaled Al-Anani and the Permanent Representative of the Kyrgyz Republic to this organization, Sadık Sher-Niyaz. This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan.
During the meeting, the desire of Kyrgyzstan for active cooperation with UNESCO was noted, especially in the field of preserving cultural and historical heritage. Kyrgyzstan proposed its candidacy and was elected to the UNESCO Executive Board for the term from 2025 to 2029, which underscores its readiness to contribute to the implementation of the organization's priorities.
Among the main areas that Kyrgyzstan plans to focus on are adaptation to climate change, protection of water and land ecosystems, combating poverty, and developing the creative industry.
The UNESCO Director-General, in turn, positively assessed Kyrgyzstan's active participation in the organization's cultural initiatives. He confirmed the readiness to consider the possibility of providing patronage for two significant events in Kyrgyzstan: the VI World Nomad Games and the International Issyk-Kul Forum named after Chyngyz Aitmatov.
At the end of the meeting, both sides expressed confidence in expanding cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and UNESCO, emphasizing the implementation of new joint projects.
