ID :
147065
Fri, 10/22/2010 - 12:03
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/147065
The shortlink copeid
AUSTRALIAN PM TO VISIT MALAYSIA
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 (Bernama) -– Australia's first woman prime minister Julia
Gillard will make an official two-day visit to Malaysia, beginning Oct 31, her
first to the region after assuming the post.
Announcing this Thursday, Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said the visit signalled
that Malaysia was a very important country in the region for Australia.
"...and the other equally important fact is the leadership of Prime Minister
Najib Razak," he told reporters after meeting his New Zealand counterpart Murray
Mccully for talks here.
Mccully arrived here on Wednesday for a one-day working visit.
Anifah said, although he was not sure the issues to be discussed at this point
of time, he believed among the issues would be trade and investment, education,
climate change, tourism, human trafficking, piracy and terrorism.
"So, that has traditionally been the issues that the former prime minister
(Kevin Rudd) and our prime minister has been discussing about...I believe it is
not much different," said Anifah.
On talks with his New Zealand counterpart, Anifah said that among
the matters discussed was education, where the country asked Malaysia to grant
blanket recognition for all its degrees and programmes.
"The Malaysian Qualification Agency is currently renewing its memorandum of
arrangement with New Zealand's qualification authority to formalise the
cooperation," said Anifah, adding that traditionally, New Zealand was a
favourite education destination for many Malaysian students.
Anifah said that Malaysia also looked forward to cost-sharing arrangement with New Zealand for courses offered at the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations for participants from countries like Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga.
Anifah said he and Mccully also discussed the possibility of having student exchange programmes between the two countries for sponsorship by the corporate sector.
Describing the discussions as very fruitful, Anifah said he and his New Zealand counterpart planned to jointly visit Afghanistan early next year to provide moral support for the teams deployed by their respective countries in the war-torn country.
Gillard will make an official two-day visit to Malaysia, beginning Oct 31, her
first to the region after assuming the post.
Announcing this Thursday, Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said the visit signalled
that Malaysia was a very important country in the region for Australia.
"...and the other equally important fact is the leadership of Prime Minister
Najib Razak," he told reporters after meeting his New Zealand counterpart Murray
Mccully for talks here.
Mccully arrived here on Wednesday for a one-day working visit.
Anifah said, although he was not sure the issues to be discussed at this point
of time, he believed among the issues would be trade and investment, education,
climate change, tourism, human trafficking, piracy and terrorism.
"So, that has traditionally been the issues that the former prime minister
(Kevin Rudd) and our prime minister has been discussing about...I believe it is
not much different," said Anifah.
On talks with his New Zealand counterpart, Anifah said that among
the matters discussed was education, where the country asked Malaysia to grant
blanket recognition for all its degrees and programmes.
"The Malaysian Qualification Agency is currently renewing its memorandum of
arrangement with New Zealand's qualification authority to formalise the
cooperation," said Anifah, adding that traditionally, New Zealand was a
favourite education destination for many Malaysian students.
Anifah said that Malaysia also looked forward to cost-sharing arrangement with New Zealand for courses offered at the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations for participants from countries like Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga.
Anifah said he and Mccully also discussed the possibility of having student exchange programmes between the two countries for sponsorship by the corporate sector.
Describing the discussions as very fruitful, Anifah said he and his New Zealand counterpart planned to jointly visit Afghanistan early next year to provide moral support for the teams deployed by their respective countries in the war-torn country.
