MOSCOW, July 22 (RIA Novosti) - UNESCO has allocated $600,000 for education programs in Chechnya.
In 2001, Russian President Vladimir Putin and UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura signed a cooperation agreement on the restoration of the Chechen education system, Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said. A number of projects have been drafted on the basis of this agreement.
The Russian Foreign Ministry, the Russian commission for UNESCO affairs, and the UNESCO office in Moscow presented these projects to promote international cooperation and to attract partners in their implementation.
The Russian Education and Science Ministry signed a protocol with UNESCO in December 2004 following the Norwegian government's decision to provide a grant of $120,000 for the training of Chechen teachers.
A similar protocol was signed in January 2005 when the Japanese government granted $283,121 to train Chechen teachers and support local education institutions.
With support from UNESCO Special Ambassador for the Education of Children in Need Ute-Henriette Ohoven $200,000 was provided for integrated psychological, educational, medical and social rehabilitation in Chechnya.
The South Korean government delivered $100,000 worth of computers to Chechen schools.
"We are negotiating the construction of a health center, a nursing home, an orphanage, and other facilities with the Red Crescent of the United Arab Emirates," said Yakovenko.
He also said a project for the restoration and development of Chechen State University will soon be drafted.
