Pakistan and Syria have signed a bilateral agreement to encourage and develop mutual cooperation in fields of Education, Culture, Science, Technical and Vocational training, and Arts.

Islamabad, 24 November 2021 (TDI): The Education Minister of the Syrian Arab Republic Dr. Darem Tabba on his visit to Islamabad, Pakistan held talks with President of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi and Federal Minister for education, Shafqat Mahmood.

Meeting with the President

Syria’s Education Minister Dr. Darem Tabba on his visit to Islamabad held talks with President Alvi at Aiwan e Sadar on Monday 22nd November. The President welcomed the Minister and expressed the State of Pakistan’s great sense of attachment and importance which it holds for its relations with the Syrian Republic, and he hoped that these relations will be promoted further in the future too.

The President said, “Pakistan attaches great importance to its relations with Syria and wants to further promote and strengthen bilateral cooperation with the brotherly country in all areas of mutual interest.”

He reflected on the fact that both Syria and Pakistan enjoy excellent relations which are embedded in a shared history of religion, values, and culture.

Focusing on cooperation in the field of education the President focused that the Pakistan International School is a leading educational institution located in the Syrian capital Damascus. He emphasized that the school would continue imparting quality education to Syrian students in line and accordance with international standards.

Both parties agreed that there is a need to increase cooperation in various areas of mutual interests especially education and culture. The focus was laid on raising efforts to increase cultural exchanges and promoting collaborations in the field of education. Pakistan also decided to offer scholarships for Syrian students to study in professional and higher educational institutions in Pakistan.

Apart from education and culture, the COVID-19 pandemic was also a highlight of the talk. The President of Pakistan called upon the global community to increase cooperation and concerted efforts to cope with the economic and health challenges the world is facing post the rise of the pandemic.

Meeting with the Federal Education Minister

The Syrian Minister also held a meeting with Pakistan’s Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood which was followed by a delegation-level meeting at the Ministry of Federal Education. Both sides agreed on the establishment of direct contact between organizations working in the field of arts and literature. Syria and Pakistan also geared up to collaborate on the translation of selected literature in the language of both countries.

A bilateral agreement was also signed for the encouragement of mutual cooperation in all fields including Education, Culture, Science, Technical and Vocational Training, and Arts.