PRESS RELEASE
Council of Europe Press Division
Ref: 791a06
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Conclusions of the Informal Conference of Ministers of Education from
the new countries in the Bologna Process (Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and
Ukraine)

Strasbourg, 14.12.2006 – Ministers of Education from Armenia, Georgia,
Moldova and Ukraine met at Council of Europe Headquarters in Strasbourg
on 12-13 December 2006 to take stock of higher education reforms in
their respective countries and to prepare jointly for the Ministerial
conference of the Bologna Process to be held in London on 17 – 18 May
2007.

In the adopted conclusions, Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the
Bologna Process and its goal of establishing a European Higher Education
Area by 2010.

While pointing out that considerable progress has been made, they
stressed the need to step up reforms of higher education systems in
their countries, further developing the quality of higher education,
advancing work on qualifications frameworks and curriculum reform and
paying more attention to social dimension in higher education.

Recognising the importance of mobility for students and staff, they
acknowledged progress in their countries in visa procedures and called
upon their fellow Ministers of Education in all countries party to the
Bologna Process to raise the issue of facilitating the granting of
visas, work and residence permits and social security protection.

The Ministers pointed out that the work of students and staff to foster
the development and dissemination of knowledge and the right of students
to education should not suffer because of political disagreements.

Ministers recognised the need for more co-operation and the exchange of
experience between themselves and pointed to the Black Sea cooperation
as a framework conducive to further cooperation on key higher education
goals…

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