Mr Jamali expressed his great interest in the activities of UNESCO, in particular in the fields of education, communication and culture. The Director-General, for his part, commended Pakistan for its active participation in the debates of the 32nd session of the General Conference and for its re-election to the Executive Board of the Organization.

During the meeting, which was held in the presence of several ministers, the preparation of the forthcoming World Summit on the Information Society, the challenges of Education for All, and the prospects for political reconstruction in Afghanistan and in Iraq were discussed in detail.

Prime Minister Jamali, who will personally attend the Geneva session of the World Summit on the Information Society, particularly stressed the need for regular follow-up to its decisions. The Director-General informed him of the latest progress in the preparatory debates and reiterated the special importance the Organization attaches to ensuring that the principle of freedom of expression and information is included in the future Declaration of Principles.

The Director-General also spoke of the Third High-Level Group Meeting on Education For All, held in New Delhi, India, from 10 to 12 November last, and expressed his appreciation for the contributions made to the proceedings by the Minister of Education of Pakistan, Ms Zobaida Jalal.

In closing, touching on the challenges of national reconstruction and reconciliation in Iraq, Mr Zararullah Khan Jamali stressed the importance of United Nations involvement and welcomed the activities launched by UNESCO in the region. Concerning Afghanistan, Koïchiro Matsuura and Zararullah Khan Jamali commended the action of President Hamid Karzai and emphasized the need for the international community to continue to give him unfailing support.

At the end of the meeting, the Prime Minister invited the Director-General to pay another official visit to Pakistan in the near future.