MAZAR-I-SHARIF, June 20. /Dunyo IA/. A literary and educational meeting was held at the Consulate of Uzbekistan with the participation of a group of Uzbek intellectuals living in the northern provinces of Afghanistan, as well as poets, writers, and representatives of academic circles, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

The event was attended by lawyers, literary scholars, and cultural figures from the provinces of Balkh, Samangan, Jowzjan, and Sar-e Pol.

During the discussion, participants spoke about the creative legacy of great thinkers such as Alisher Navoi, Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur, and Boborahim Mashrab, who are buried on Afghan soil, emphasizing that their works have remained a source of universal human values and spiritual development for centuries. It was noted that the humanistic ideas of these scholars, calling for compassion and enlightenment, have not lost their relevance today, and therefore the younger generation needs to study this heritage in depth.

At the meeting, lecturers from the Department of Uzbek and Turkic Languages at Balkh University addressed issues related to raising the prestige of the Uzbek language in Afghanistan. The head of the department, Ustoz Saifullah, emphasized the need to strengthen interest in the native language among local youth, as well as to provide quality support for the activities of the educational unit.

In this regard, proposals were put forward to allocate targeted grants for Afghan Uzbek students at higher educational institutions in Uzbekistan, as well as to organize exchange visits for creative figures to literary centers in Uzbekistan.

As a sign of cultural friendship, Afghan writers presented the Consulate of Uzbekistan with a collection of their poetic and translation works, published in 26 volumes.