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| Thursday, 22 May 2003 |
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South Asian education ministers meet in Islamabad ISLAMABAD, Wednesday (AFP) Education ministers from South Asian countries began their first regional forum here Wednesday, with India's minister Murali Manohar Joshi noticeably absent. Joshi had been expected to join counterparts from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka for the three-day conference in the Pakistani capital, but failed to turn up, organisers said. The three-day Education for All (EFA) Forum is the first regional gathering of South Asian officials since a thaw in Pakistan-India relations took hold following Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's "hand of friendship" offer on April 18. "The Indian Education Minister has not come but the country is represented by an official from the education ministry," conference organiser Shaukat Mughal told AFP. In New Delhi the Indian foreign ministry said it was unaware of the meeting. "It is not even listed in the calendar of events. We are not aware of any such meet. As we are not aware of the meet, there is no question of anyone going," an official told AFP. An education ministry official said Joshi was in Lucknow Wednesday accompanying Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on a visit to his constituency. "So the question of him going to Pakistan today does not arise," the Indian education official said. Since Vajpayee's olive branch Pakistan has invited Vajpayee for talks and both sides are in the process of reappointing ambassadors and restoring transport links. While both rivals have called for dialogue, no date has been set yet for talks at any level. Combating rampant illiteracy, the quality of basic education of basic education and strategies for bridging gender inequality in education levels will be key focuses. South Asia is home to 45 percent of the world's illiterate population, according to UN figures. |
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