Saudi Minister of Higher Education Dr. Khalid Al-Anqari met here today with Australian Minister of Education Julia Gerald. During the meeting, aspects of academic and scientific cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Australia and ways of enhancing them were discussed. Al-Anqari reviewed with Gerald the march of education and its development up to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program. For her part, Gerald lauded the level of current relations between the two countries, including the scientific, educational, research and exchange of visits and experiences among universities and research institutions in the two countries. During the meeting, an agreement for scientific and academic cooperation and activation of exchange of experiences in the research and scientific fields and exchange of programs, experiences and research between universities and research and scientific institutions in the two countries was signed. The meeting was attended by Saudi ambassador to Australia Hasan bin Talaat Nazer. Earlier today, Al-Anqari met with Australia's Foreign Minister Steven Smith. During the meeting, which was attended by ambassador Nazer, bilateral relations between the two countries and ways of enhancing them in scientific, research and academic fields were reviewed. For his part, Smith lauded the role the Kingdom is playing at the regional and international arenas and the current relations between the Australian and Saudi universities. In the evening, Al-Anqari left Australia for New Zealand where he is scheduled to meet with a number of higher education officials and Saudi students on scholarships there. He will sign memoranda of understanding between the two countries in the research and educational fields.
