BEIJING, China: Pakistan and China have signed an executive programme of cultural agreement for further consolidating cultural relations and promoting people-to-people contacts between the two states.
The Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage Marriyum Aurangzeb and the Chinese Minister of Culture Luo Shugang signed the agreement in Beijing on behalf of their respective Countries.
The ambassador of Pakistan to China and senior officials of both the Countries were also present on the occasion.
In her meeting with the Chinese Minister of Culture before the signing ceremony, Marriyum Aurangzeb said the relations between the iron brothers and strategic partners were deeper than oceans and higher than mountains and were based on mutual trust and respect.
Marriyum Aurangzeb expressed the confidence that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would take the bilateral relations between the two Countries to new heights.
The information minister said people of Pakistan and China wanted to enhance the cultural collaboration, and added the Chinese President Xi Jinping’s vision of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was a historic milestone not only for the Countries along the belt and road but also the region and beyond.
The minster said relationship between Pakistan and China had been further strengthened by CPEC, a flagship project of BRI.
Marriyum said after signing the agreement, there was a greater responsibility on both the Countries to strive for time bound implementation process.
The minister said during the 19th Congress of the China Communist Party (CPC), President Xi Jinping stressed upon cultural exchanges as the fourth core component of the BRI.
The minister of state said the economic cooperation, infrastructure development, energy projects and the people to people exchanges would enhance contacts and share & promote the heritage of both Countries.
Marriyum Aurangzeb said Pak-China relationship had been embedded into our culture, adding the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National History and Literary Heritage was actively pursuing the cultural contacts between the two States.
Marriyum Aurangzeb informed her host that during the last year, CPEC Cultural Caravan was organized from Xinjiang to Gwadar, and in which Chinese group of visual artists and performing arts also participated. She observed the executive programme of cultural agreement would translate into extensive cultural contacts between the two Countries and also impart sustainability to the cultural ties.
The minister proposed a mutual photography exhibition at the Pak-China National Culture Center in Islamabad which had already been established and also the grant of a cultural scholarship to students in Universities. She also proposed to establish a FM Radio with an access along the CPEC route in Pakistan.
The Chinese Minister for Culture Luo Sugang welcomed the minister and her delegation, and said China and Pakistan had special relations and friendly bonds particularly after the visit of President Xi Jinping to Pakistan in 2015.
Luo Sugang said in culture, both the Countries shared progressive relations and would enrich cultural relationship in future. He said CPEC as flagship project of BRI was not only a corridor for economic and trade activity but it also was a conduit to enhance cultural exchanges between the two brotherly Countries.
The Chinese minister invited the minister of state to attend the Silk Road Cultural festival scheduled to be held in China in September this year.
The Director General Radio Pakistan Shafqat Jalil and the Director General of External Publicity of Pakistan Zahoor Barlas were also present in the meeting.
