Pakistan's Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui on Thursday said a formal invitation had already been sent to Afghanistan to participate in a conference on girls' education.

The international conference on girls' education in Muslim countries would be held from January 11 to 12 in Islamabad with aims to address challenges and opportunities of women.

Siddiqui expressed the hope that representative from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) would attend the conference.

Addressing a news conference, the minister said that the conference, jointly organised by the MoFEPT and the Muslim World League (MWL), will be presided over by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

He said the ministry had already sent invitations to 57 counties which was confirmed by 48 countries and added the conference would be attended by leaders, policy makers, diplomats, religious scholars, educationists, and experts from Muslim countries.

The conference's keynote address would be delivered by Nobel Laureate and globally-acclaimed advocate for girls' education Malala Yousafzai, he added.

Khairullah Khairkhwa, Afghanistan’s minister of information and culture, this week met with Veronika Boskovic Pohar, the new EU charge d'affaires, to discuss the protection of Afghanistan’s cultural heritage.

According to the ministry, both sides discussed and exchanged opinions on the protection of cultural heritage, its value and public awareness on the issue.

At the meeting, Khairkhwa voiced appreciation for the EU’s cooperation in the field of cultural heritage protection, and emphasized the need for further development of relations.

"Protection of cultural heritage is not only the duty of Afghans, rather, it is the duty of the world to fully cooperate with Afghanistan in this field," he said.

Pohar in turn assured the minister of the EU’s continued cooperation in this respect.

Afghanistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi on Wednesday met with Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs for the UAE, in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday for talks on various issues including the Islamic Emirate’s aspirations for stability, development and prosperity in the country.

The two diplomats also discussed progress made in Afghanistan over the past three years.

In addition, they discussed bilateral relations and ways to enhance them to achieve the mutual interests of both countries, promoting prosperity and welfare for their peoples.

According to a statement issued by the UAE’s ministry of foreign affairs, Al Nahyan and Muttaqi also exchanged views on regional and international issues of common concern.

Additionally, they reviewed ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in several sectors, particularly in economic and developmental fields, while supporting reconstruction and development efforts in Afghanistan.

The meeting was also attended by Ahmed Bin Ali Al Sayegh, the UAE’s Minister of State.

Also on Wednesday, Muttaqi met with India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in Dubai where they discussed the need to strengthen bilateral ties.

Misri reaffirmed India's long-standing friendship with the people of Afghanistan, and emphasized the strong people-to-people connections between the two nations.

Misri highlighted India's commitment to addressing Afghanistan's urgent developmental needs and extending humanitarian support.

The discussions also included an assessment of India's ongoing humanitarian assistance programs in Afghanistan.