Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia and New Zealand have agreed to step up education co-operation, the Indonesian Embassy said in Wellington on Monday.

The agreement was reached at the first meeting of Joint Working Group on Education (JWG) on February 10, in Wellington, it said.

The meeting was attended by Indonesian Deputy Education and Culture Minister Musliar Kasim, New Zealand Education Minister Hekia Parata and the Minister for Tertiary Education Steven Joyce and Indonesian Ambassador to New Zealand Agus Sriyono.

It was revealed that the agreement will focus on nursing, curriculum development, geothermal and Indonesian study at New Zealand educational institutions.

The JWG meeting is part of a series of visits to the Institute of Technology and Polytechnic Whitireia, Victoria University of Wellington, Raroa Normal Intermediate School and Wellington College.

Joyce said bilateral relations between Indonesia and New Zealand have improved significantly.

"The ties will continue to be stepped up, especially in the field of education," Joyce said.

Meanwhile, Musliar expressed hope that the JWG meeting would yield a concrete deal in the education sector.

He said that at least one of the proposals put forward at the meeting would materialize this year.

At a JWG meeting last July the application of the "Arrangement between the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Indonesia and the Ministry of Education of New Zealand on Education Co-operation" was signed in Jakarta.

Musliar said that more than 450 Indonesian students are currently studying at various universities in New Zealand.
(Uu.O001/INE/F001)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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