Pakistan and Syria have agreed for mutual cooperation and exchange of experts in the field of science and technology, according to an official statement. The consensus was reached in the first meeting of Pak-Syria Joint Committee on Science and Technology in Islamabad. A five-member Syrian delegation, headed by Deputy Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research Dr. Mohamed Najib Abdul Wahed, is currently on a visit to Pakistan. It was decided in the meeting that workshops would be alternately held in Syria and Pakistan bi-annually. The first workshop is planned to be held in Syria on the topic of cultivation and processing of fruits and cotton. It will be reciprocated by Pakistan by holding a workshop on science and technology planning and research project management. Project proposals were discussed in details in the field of agriculture, pharmaceutical sciences, water resources, oceanography and others. Federal Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Nouraiz Shakoor presided over the meeting said that there was need to strengthen national science and technology capacities by pooling resources and mutual cooperation. He said that Pakistan is playing an active role at the international level in the projects and programmes of OIC organizations, UN Agencies, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, ASEAN, European Union, Non-Aligned Movement and Economic Cooperation Organization. Shakoor said Pakistan has signed agreement on science and technology cooperation with 30 different countries. Syrian Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research said that he is looking forward for an active and sustainable co-operation from Pakistan side. He said that strategy for success and development in the 21st century should be based upon the principle of competition and co-operation.
