Dr. Rafiullah Samim, Director of Public Libraries of Afghanistan, represented his country at the 7th Meeting of Librarians of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Member States held in Türkiye.

During the meeting, Afghanistan was officially granted membership in both the Libraries Digitization Committee and the Education and Research Committee, marking an important step in strengthening the country’s educational and cultural infrastructure.

In addition to the membership recognition, the Turkish government pledged to provide Afghanistan with the Kashif library management system free of charge, a platform designed to modernize library operations and facilitate digital cataloging. Turkey also committed to supporting professional training programs for Afghan library staff, aiming to enhance skills in library management, digitization, and research support.

Dr. Samim expressed optimism about the new collaboration, emphasizing that these initiatives will broaden access to educational resources across Afghanistan and contribute to long-term development in the country’s academic and research sectors.

The ECO librarians’ meeting highlighted the importance of regional cooperation in education, culture, and digital transformation, with member states sharing best practices to strengthen library systems and literacy programs throughout the region.

Afghanistan’s new role in the ECO committees is expected to accelerate the digitization of its libraries, improve educational access for students and researchers, and promote knowledge exchange with neighboring countries. (ILKHA)