Montreal – Expressing his gratitude on behalf of the Afghan people and government, His Excellency M. Haneef Atmar, Minister of Education of Afghanistan, welcomed the announcement made today in Montreal of Canada’s substantial contribution to the Afghan education sector.

The Honourable Beverley Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, joined Min. Atmar at a function sponsored by the Council on International Relations of Montreal (CORIM) to announce the Canadian Government’s $60 million investment over four years to Afghanistan largest education program, the Education Quality Improvement Project (EQUIP), managed by the World Bank.

Ottawa – His Excellency M. Haneef Atmar, Minister of Education of Afghanistan, is on an official visit to Canada, where he will meet with Canadian Government officials, NGOs, educators and community leaders. He will also attend several functions in Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Banff.

“Canada is a major contributor towards the education sector in Afghanistan, and Minister Atmar will highlight the current state of education, the achievements and remaining challenges to build a sustainable system,” said Omar Samad, the Afghan Ambassador.