Bilateral ties: ‘Afghan consulate to be set up in Lahore’

Ambassador says cooperation in education would help both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

FAISALABAD: Afghan Ambassador Janan Mosazai said on Thursday that Afghanistan would replicate University of Agriculture Faisalabad’s model to boost agricultural research and education. 

He was addressing a gathering at Iqbal Auditorium at the UAF. The session was presided over by UAF Vice Chancellor Iqrar Ahmad Khan.

The ambassador said developing agriculture was a top priority of the government of Afghanistan.

He said governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan should strengthen relations by collaborating in agricultural and educational programmes.

He said he was looking forward to working with the UAF to strengthen ties with Afghan institutions.

The ambassador said that the two countries were tied together by a shared history culture and religion.

“We face the same challenges, including food security and terrorism,” he said.

He lauded the Pakistani government for awarding 3,000 scholarships to Afghan students.

He said Afghanistan would open a consulate in Lahore soon.

He said student exchange was a vital part of people-to-people contact. He also invited a delegation of UAF teachers and students to visit Afghanistan.

The ambassador said cooperation in education would pave the way to achieving common goals like poverty alleviation and ending terrorism.

Agriculture Special Secretary (Marketing) Gulzar Hussain said the provincial government had launched a comprehensive plan to promote agriculture. He said the chief minister would visit Afghanistan next month.

UAF Vice Chancellor Iqrar Ahmad Khan stressed the need for the two countries to work together to combat food insecurity and poverty.

He said there were 65 Afghan at the UAF.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 24^th, 2015.