ISLAMABAD, Oct 4: Speakers at a workshop here on Monday stressed upon the educationists of Pakistan and Afghanistan to exchange views to foster better cooperation and understanding for the development of education sector in both countries.

The views were expressed by Pakistani and Afghan educationists on the first day of a two-day workshop organized here by the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung. The workshop aimed at providing a common platform to educationists of both countries for sharing and benefiting from the experiences of one another.

In the education sector, they said, both countries faced great challenges which were almost similar and with the exchange of views both the neighbouring countries could find similar solutions to their issues.

Pakistan and Afghanistan, they said, had shared history and time had come that both had to share a common future as well. The stability and educational developments in one country would have positive effects on the other and vice versa.

Both countries had great potential and by working in collaboration with each other they could face even tougher challenges, the participants said. The educationists said Pakistan was reasonably well-placed in the education sector compared to the war-ravaged country, therefore, it could help its neighbouring country in the education sector.

They said education was the sole remedy to all social and economic ills, and in order to benefit from each other's experience, the persistent communication gap which existed between the two countries should be removed.

The resident representative of Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF), Peter Andreas Bochmann, welcomed the participants and expressed the hope that the workshop would look at the new and innovative ways of strengthening communication channels between the two countries.