OREANDA-NEWS. May 13, 2008. On these days Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Turkmenistan Mr. Peter Roderick Butcher is on a visit to the Lebap Velayat. He holds a series of the meeting with the local people.

One of the meetings took place in Turkmenabat, at the S. Seydi Turkmen State Pedagogical Institute – the oldest institution of higher education in Turkmenistan that had trained over 50,000 specialists in the English language as well.

The meeting was arranged in the framework of the cultural and educational action initiated by the UK Embassy in Turkmenistan. A special exposition of the books, booklets with colourful illustrations and posters presenting the national traditions, history and present day of the friendly country was organized in the foyer of the main building of the Institute. Another thematic section of the exposition focuses on the problem of great concern to the whole mankind – global climate changes. The lecture on this vital issue delivered by the British diplomat was of particular interest to the local teachers and students.

Upon concluding the meeting Mr. Peter Roderick Butcher highly appreciated the education reform implemented in Turkmenistan on the initiative of the Turkmen leader. The diplomat emphasized that the considerable work to bring the national education system up to world standards had been done in the country within a short period. He said that introduction of advanced technologies at schools and higher educational establishments, improvement of the education system and methodology was a pledge of training future highly qualified specialists. The Ambassador noted that they welcomed the concern that the President showed in teaching the foreign languages, in particular English at the schools and higher educational establishments throughout the country. The British Embassy provided every possible support closely collaborating with the Supreme Council or Science and Technology under President of Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Education to improve the English language teaching system.

The British diplomat had a meeting with Lebap Velayat Khyakim Ch. Odeberdiev, who briefed the guest on the prospects of development of the region in the framework of the national programme on improvement the social and living conditions in the regions.