Khalifa Bakheit Al Falasi, UAE Ambassdor to Australia, yesterday said the progress achieved by the UAE in the education sector had put the country on Australia's agenda of educational cooperation.

Speaking to a gathering of UAE students in Australia, Falasi said that the UAE was serious in making its presence felt in the international arena, particularly in Australia with which the UAE had advanced cultural and educaitonal ties.

He said "students are the real ambassdors of their country by projecting their community's culture and values, particularly after the September 11 events."

"Showing seriousness in education will be a strong answer to the distortion and slandering being waged against Arabs and Islam," he added.

He said the Arab and Islamic civilisation was the precursor for modern development, noting that Arabs and Muslims were promotors of justice and tolerance.

"We will not, however, accept humiliation and injustice. We are proud to project the model of the Emirates to the world and to assert at the same time that the UAE is part and parcel of the Arab and Islamic civilization," he added.

He praised the students' efforts in establishing a branch of the UAE students' union in Australia.