QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti and Netherlands Ambassador to Pakistan Henny de Vries on Wednesday discussed mutual cooperation in the fields of education, agriculture and water management.

They also discussed the issue of Afghan refugees and governance reforms in the province.

The chief minister informed the Netherlands envoy about the Balochistan government’s initiatives to improve governance in the province and the youth welfare programmes. He informed Henny de Vries about Balochistan government’s scholarship programmes for the youth of the province.

He said the provincial government would bear 16-year educational expenses of top position-holding students of every district of Balochistan. He said the government would train 30,000 young people in different fields and send them abroad in phases to enhance their skills and employment prospects.

The chief minister also informed the envoy about the Youth Skills Development Programme launched by the government for empowering young individuals to contribute to the economy.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2025