Kazakhstan Ready To Accept Malaysian Students

PUTRAJAYA, April 18 (Bernama) -- Kazakhstan is ready to accept Malaysian students to further their studies, said its President Nursultan Nazarbayev. He said Kazakhstan also agreed to continue exchanging specialists in the academic area between the two countries. "We are ready to accept students from Malaysia and also to discuss appropriate agreement for our 2,000 students currently studying here," he said at a joint press conference after the delegation meeting between Kazakhstan and Malaysia, here on Wednesday. Nazarbayev is on a two-day visit beginning yesterday and this is his third state visit to Malaysia in 16 years (after 1996 and 2006), a reflection of the close relations between Malaysia and Kazakhstan. At the meeting, both countries also agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the field of education. Malaysia was represented by Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin and Kazakhstan, by its Education and Science Minister Bakhytzhan Zhumagulov. Nazarbayev believes that both countries will achieve a brighter future in education and other areas such as mineral resources and tourism. Another two MoUs, namely in mineral resource development and tourism were also signed between the two countries. In respect of mineral resource development, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Douglas Uggah Embas represented Malaysia while Kazakhstan was represented by its Industry and New Technologies Minister Asset Issekeshev. In the area of tourism, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen signed on behalf of Malaysia and Issekeshev on behalf of Kazakhstan. -- BERNAMA