Conclusions of the Informal Conference of Ministers of Education from the new countries in the Bologna Process (Armenia, Georgia

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...