Efforts on card to preserve national history and literary heritage: Shafqat

ISLAMABAD, May 2 (APP):Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood Thursday said that efforts were underway to boost the performance of National History and Literary Heritage Division and National Library of Pakistan for the preservation and promotion of National History, tangible and intangible heritage.

He was addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Azerbaijan Study Centre here at National Library of Pakistan.

The newly established Azerbaijan Study Center at National Library was dedicated to the to the 96th birth anniversary of Heydar Aliyev a national leader of Azerbaijan.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that government was also paying focus for the promotion of literary heritage, national & regional languages.

Pakistan and Azerbaijan had good friendly relations in different fields including education, history, culture, tourism and many others, he added.

The minister thanked the Ambassador of Azerbaijan for opening of study centre in National Library, saying that it would help the people of both the countries to understand each other’s history, culture, heritage and tourism.

Recalling his visit to Azerbaijan, Shafqat Mahmood emphasized the country’s rapid advancement, and pointed out the importance of further developing friendly and fraternal relations with Azerbaijan and strengthening the existing trust between the two countries.

He said that ministry of education would also take help from the expertise of Azerbaijan in the fields of education, history, culture and heritage.

Earlier, in his remarks Ambassador of Azerbaijan, Ali Alizada said the study center had been established with the support of Heydar Aliyev Foundation and added it would be a symbol of friendship between the two countries.

This step would reflect the socio-economic, cultural and heritage relations as well as strengthen the people to people contacts of both the nations, he added.

He noted that Urdu, the national language of Pakistan, being taught at Baku State University and that the number of Pakistani students studying in Azerbaijan was growing.

He went on to say that Azerbaijani students were also interested in obtaining higher education at universities in Pakistan and informed that students and specialists from both the countries were periodically involved in exchange programs.

He emphasized the importance of the support provided by Azerbaijan and Pakistan to each other within the framework of regional and international organizations and the need to increase the number of joint projects and reciprocal visits.

The ambassador pointed out that more efforts would be taken to further strengthen bilateral relations among Pakistan and Azerbaijan.

Secretary National History and Literary Heritage Division Aamir Hassan and Director National Library were also present on the occasion.