World urged to help preserve Afghan monuments

KABUL (Pajhwok): Deputy Minister of Information and Culture Maulvi Atiqullah Azizi has urged UNAMA to cooperate with his ministry in construction of buildings for public libraries and setting up mobile libraries across the country.

He said this at a meeting with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and UNAMA head Roza Otunbayeva, European Union and UNICEF representatives here on Sunday, the Ministry of Information and Culture (MoIC) wrote on its X handle.

Azizi briefed the UNAMA chief on public library and arts department activities, deploring no attention had been paid to public libraries in the past two decades.

He noted the public library, having more than 90 branches across the country, had been providing services to many people.

The deputy minister asked the head of UNAMA to assist MoIC in construction of buildings for public libraries and setting up of mobile libraries.

The deputy minister also urged the world to take part in the reconstruction and preservation of Afghanistan’s historical monuments.

For her part, Otunbayeva said: “Literacy is an important and vital issue in Afghanistan. According to our information, more than five million children still do not have access to education.”

She promised UNAMA would assist Afghanistan in areas of promoting education and setting up public libraries in addition to providing humanitarian aid.

The top UN diplomat also announced that they would organise a National Book Reading Campaign in Afghanistan in the near future.

kk/mud