AIDOGHIE PAULINUS, Abuja

The federal government and the government of Australia have intensified efforts to increase bilateral cooperation. The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olukunle Bamgbose, while speaking after receiving the Assistant Secretary, African Branch, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Middle East and Africa Division, Australia, Gita Kamath, said both countries agreed that distance should not be allowed to define the relationship between Australia and Nigeria in terms of trade and other economic activities. Bamgbose said what both countries are out to broaden and deepen their relations in many areas, even as he said both countries have been engaging since the 1960s. “What we are trying to do is to broaden and deepen the relations in many areas and of course, also, for the mutual benefits of our two countries. “And I think we will continue to engage. We have a meeting of senior officials of both countries and we have also proposed the establishment of political consultation between our two countries. “These are diplomatic measures of making sure that the two countries are fully engaged and also ways of deepening our bilateral relations,” Bamgbose said. Bamgbose noted that one of the key players in the mining sector is Australia, saying that putting into consideration, the diversification into non oil sector by the current administration, Australia became a very important partner. “So, one of the key areas we are also looking at is mining and that is why Australia becomes a stakeholder in our effort to diversify from oil. “Also, Australia has been very helpful in terms of assisting to build infrastructure in the northeast. “In terms of capacity building, scholarships to Nigeria, Australia has been very forthcoming. These are some of the issues that we discussed today,” Bamgbose added. On her part, Kamath who is in charge of 49 countries in the sub-Saharan Africa, noted that Nigeria was clearly a very important political, economic and strategic interlocutor and partner of Australia in Africa. He said issues of importance to Australia were strengthening and diversifying bilateral trade and investment ties with Nigeria.