KABUL (Pajhwok): The orthography of the country's local languages will be standardized following discussions at the High Council of Languages meeting, the Ministry of Information and Culture said on Thursday.

In a statement, the ministry said the session of the High Council of Languages was chaired by Maulvi Atiqullah Azizi, Deputy Minister for Culture and Art, and organized in coordination with the Directorate of People's Culture.

Azizi said about the importance of the council, that language forms the foundation of every nation's cultural identity.

“Language is not only a means of communication and understanding among people, but it also represents the intellectual heritage of their history, culture, religion, traditions, and values,” he added.

Azizi explained:“If a language is preserved, the nation remains alive. We are obliged to safeguard our languages and transfer them to future generations through strong academic frameworks.”

The statement said the deputy minister made several recommendations on preserving local languages, improving spellings, collecting and standardizing linguistic resources, and strengthening national identity.

He assured the MoIC would take practical steps for the expansion, promotion, and scientific evaluation of languages across the country.

The participants of the High Council of Languages meeting exchanged views on the importance of languages, the preservation of local languages, the collection of linguistic materials, and the development of standardized spelling and writing principles.
They decided to organize scientific and research-based seminars and workshops on spelling reform in various parts of the country, to establish academic committees for the preservation and promotion of languages, and to launch research projects aimed at standardizing the accepted way of spelling and writing words of local languages.

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