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Pakistan offers

Kyrgyzstan help

in higher education

BISHKEK, (Kyrghyzstan): Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto said on Saturday that her country could share its experience with Kyrgyzstan for promoting higher education and technical programmes.

Addressing a large gathering of students at the State National University of Bishkek here, she said the two countries shared vision of progress in the entire ECO area was under-written by the dream of universal literacy articulated in the Third ECO summit held in Islamabad and also attended by President Akayev.

In Pakistan, she said, her government established special technical assistance programme for all Central Asian Republics, including Kyrgyzsatan.

In her opening remarks, the premier said she was deeply touched and honoured by the award of Honorary Professorship, by the State National University of Bishkek. Personally, no other award could have touched me as deeply. "By admitting me to the academic fraternity of Kyrgyzstan, you have reinforced my enduring commitment to the promotion of learning; you have created for me a personal bond, with this augusst University and this brotherly country. You have symbolically reaffirmed the strong ties, that had existed between the scholars and academics of our two countries, in past centuries," she added.

She further stated "as I stand in these hallowed halls of learning, look at the bright young faces in the audience, and sense their eagerness for intellectual achievement, I am filled with optimism about the future. For, far too long, prosperity was associated with the exploitation of natural resources. Today we recognize that well-being, material and spiritual flows from the development of the human resource.

"The educational reforms in Kyrgyzstan by President Askar Akayev are well known to us. We hope that they will contribute significantly to the progress and prosperity of your country. "Our shared vision of progress in the entire ECO area was under-written by the dream of universal literacy articulated in the third ECO Summit held in Islamabad and also attended by President Akayev. I have again had the opportunity to exchange views with him on various areas of our mutual interests, including sharing of our experiences in the field of higher education and technical training programmes.

"In Pakistan, we have established a special technical assistance programme for all Central Asian republics, including Kyrgyzstan. This programme includes training in the fields of commercial banking, accountancy, diplomancy, English language and public management. We were happy to welcome Kyrgyz trainees to these courses.

"Education is the foundation on which democracy rests. It is not enough that people must have freedom of choice, they must be imbued with the knowledge that enables them to choose wisely.

I do not suggest that education is the panacea for all the evils that beset our globe and condemn people in many developing countries to grinding poverty. It is, however, the most cost effective and for the individual, the most enriching means of tackling these problems. No task is as vital, as the world enters the 21st century, as the task of the educationists for you will shape the next generation and in doing so you will shape the future of the region and of the globe.

"It is an onerous responsibility. I am confident that this University and its sister institutions in our region shall be more than equal to the task. As a political leader and as a new member of your fraternity, I promise you our full support."

The premier also announced two scholarships to Kyrghyzstan student in Pakistani University."-APP