Baghdad: Minister of Education Abdul Karim Abtan al-Jubouri met with the European Union Ambassador to Iraq, Clemens Simetner, to discuss cooperation priorities in education, training, and youth development.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, during the meeting, al-Jubouri expressed his appreciation for European support in training staff and awareness programs on the dangers of terrorism and drugs. He called for directing cooperation towards vocational education and linking its outcomes to the labor market, in addition to digital transformation and literacy programs.

The Minister of Education noted that more than one million students will enroll in the first grade of primary school this year, emphasizing that early planning for their education and training represents an investment in the future of generations and the needs of the labor market.

For his part, the Ambassador expressed the European Union’s readiness to continue cooperation, organize new programs, and integrate them into the Ministry of Education’s vision. He also mentioned existing programs with other Iraqi ministries that could be developed and coordinated with the Ministry’s priorities.