Riyadh, (TDI): Ambassador of Pakistan to Saudi Arabia Ahmad Farooq has emphasized that the cultural diplomacy can play pivotal role for further deepening ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
He was addressing an event of a panel discussion, titled ‘Shared Voices: Literature and Art as Bridges of Culture and Understanding’ held at the annual Riyadh Book Fair, according to a press release received here Wednesday.
He said that it is basically the cultural affinities between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia that brought people together.
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The ambassador highlighted and discussed in details as how the cultural diplomacy offered a new vista of further deepening the bilateral relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
In pursuance of these efforts, he highlighted that the embassy was meaningfully engaged with Ministry of Culture in the Kingdom through its 11 cultural commissions and several exciting projects were in the pipelines.
Besides Ambassador Ahmad Farooq, the all-Pakistan panel also included Suljuk Tarar, Ambassador of Pakistan to the Netherlands and Ameena Seyyid, Founder Director of Adab Festival and founder of Karachi Literary Festival. The panel was moderated by Yazed Almulhem.
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During the conversation, similarities between the Kingdom and Pakistan in terms of culture, history, social values and shared religion were discussed as being bridges that linked the two countries culturally.
The event was widely attended by Saudi youth, literature enthusiasts and members of the civic society.
Speaking about the importance of literature, Ambassador Suljuk Tarar stated that books acted as a unifying force and mirrors of the societies besides showcasing the true spirit and essence of a particular country.
He stressed on the importance of having quality translations of good fiction literature in Arabic and Urdu to develop a stronger understanding of each other.
In her remarks, Ameena Seyyid said that literature and art were powerful tools that helped breakdown stereotypes.
“They crossed geographical boundaries and shared common human values and sentiments such as grief, compassion, love and resilience,” she said.
Ameena Seyyid shared that after she pioneered the Karachi Literary Festival in 2010, more than 100 literary festivals had been organized in Pakistan to-date.
She also stated that Pakistan would welcome Saudi publishing houses and authors in future festivals.
The discussion concluded with special messages for the Saudi youth from each panelist.
