TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia and Algeria have agreed to strengthen cooperation in the field of university education and scientific researches and sign a memorandum of understanding for it.

This is the result of the meeting between the Indonesian ambassador to Algeria, Safira Machrusah, and Algerias minister of university education and scientific researches, Tahar Hadjar, second secretary of the Indonesian embassy in Algeria, Darmia Dimu, said to ANTARA in London on Sunday.

Safira said the cooperation would include extension of scholarships, exchange of lecturers and joint researches and publication of the joint researches in international scientific journals.

"Cooperation in the fields of education and research between Indonesia and Algeria has so far often been hindered by the lack of the MoU, while the potential is huge. So with the signing of the MoU it is hoped the obstacles would be overcome," Safira said.

Several universities in Algeria have expressed their support including Africa University in Adrar and Emir Abdelkader University in Constantine.

A number of universities in Indonesia have seen the good prospect for the cooperation with civitas academica of the North African country to be developed.

Minister Tahar Hajar said the bilateral relations that have been developed by the two countries for a long time since the Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung in 1955 need to be followed up with concrete cooperation in the field of education and research.

He hailed the Indonesian initiatives in pushing for the realization of the MoU.

ANTARA