MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Downer
I am pleased to announce the Australian Government will provide ten new scholarship awards for students from Pakistan to study in Australia.
The new students will commence their study in Australia in early 1999, joining the 25 Pakistani students currently studying in Australia on scholarship.
The new scholarships will go to postgraduate students studying at Masters level in the areas of education, agriculture, the environment and maternal and child health.
I am also pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Pakistan which paves the way for a new project to assist with the impact of salinity and water logged lands.
The project will return lands to farmers in the Punjab region which have been badly degraded by salinity.
Australia has also suffered the loss of productive lands due to salinity and is hence able to bring to the project considerable research and expertise in the area.
Australia will work in partnership with Pakistan and the United Nations Development Program bringing together the research, management and rehabilitation skills each has to offer the project.
Australia is committed to assisting Pakistan pursue its development objectives. In 1997/98 Australia has committed $3.6 million to aid programs in Pakistan, including projects with a community focus such as education for women and child labour.
ISLAMABAD
Media contacts:
Innes Willox (Minister's Office) 02 6277 7500/0411 414 695
Geoff Adlide (AusAID) 02 6206 4967/0417 683 126