ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ataullah Tarar on Saturday said Pakistan attaches great importance to cultural diplomacy and aims to enhance cooperation with Tajikistan in the field of digital media. He expressed these views during a meeting with Tajikistan’s Minister for Culture Sattariyon Matlubkhon Amonzoda, who is visiting Pakistan to attend Tajik Cultural Week. The meeting discussed bilateral cooperation, collaboration in digital media, promotion of media linkages, people-to-people contacts, and preservation of the shared literary and cultural heritage of the two countries. The minister said digital media plays a key role in public outreach, cultural harmony, and the promotion of positive narratives in the present era. He congratulated the Tajik minister on the successful organization of Tajik Cultural Week in Pakistan. He said the holding of Tajik Cultural Week was agreed during a meeting between Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, adding that cultural festivals provide a strong platform for strengthening ties between the peoples of the two countries. Ataullah Tarar said Pakistan and Tajikistan share centuries-old historical and cultural relations and reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to further promoting cultural cooperation. He added that both sides also agreed to finalize formal agreements to enhance cultural collaboration during the expected visit of the Tajik president to Pakistan. Highlighting the shared literary heritage, the minister said the poetry of Allama Muhammad Iqbal reflects intellectual harmony between the peoples of Pakistan and Tajikistan, while Persian poets are held in high regard in both countries. The Tajik minister thanked the federal minister for Pakistan’s cooperation in organizing Tajik Cultural Week and said Tajikistan would continue close collaboration with Pakistan in cultural exchanges and digital media. The meeting was attended by Tajik Ambassador Sharifzoda Yusuf Toir, Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Climate Change Romina Khurshid Alam, Secretary Information and Broadcasting Ashfaq Ahmed Khalil, and other senior officials. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025