ISLAMABAD, Sept 10: Saudi Ambassador Ali Awadh Asseri said here on Friday that the leadership of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are absolutely determined to eliminate terrorism and in this regard their security agencies and interior ministries are working in close cooperation.

Ambassador Asseri said this at a special news briefing on the recent visit of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to Saudi Arabia.

Referring to prime minister's meetings with the Saudi leadership, he said: "The two leadership showed absolute determination to continue cooperating to eliminate the curse of terrorism from the two countries.

They reiterated their resolve to do everything possible to ensure that the germs of terrorism are uprooted without any loss of time." When asked to specify the mechanism for counter-terrorism cooperation, the Saudi ambassador said: "Our security agencies and interior ministries are working very closely."

He side stepped a question regarding exchange of intelligence between the two countries but said as a consequence of the Prime Minister's visit the cooperation would increase. Asked if the Saudi Kingdom would extend financial assistance to Pakistan to fight terrorism, ambassador Asseri was non-committal, saying: "We help in any way we can."

He agreed with a questioner that 9/11 terror attacks in the US had brought Pakistan and Saudi Arabia even closer, noting that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were both suffering equally from religious extremism. He repeatedly referred to terrorists as "deviant citizens" with a "hidden agenda."

Sharing his thoughts on the eve of third anniversary of 9/11 attacks, masterminded by Saudi citizen Osama bin Laden, Ambassador Asseri said it was very sad in the world history and it put the Muslim Ummah through a tough test as it faced a vicious campaign against Islam.

He said: "Let us hope and pray that the last three years have proved that Islam has nothing to do with terrorism. That it is a peaceful religion of love and justice and that even though some Muslims were involved in the 9/11 terrorist activities, 9/11 had nothing to do with Islam and Muslims."

When quizzed about Osama's whereabouts, Ambassador Asseri said he had no clue about it. He who sounded "very happy" with the prime minister's visit to Saudi Arabia and described it as fruitful.

He said it had generated tangible moves to enhance and diversify bilateral cooperation, underlining the tremendous scope and bright prospects for greater cooperation in the health and education sectors.

Stating that there were around 500 Saudi students studying in medical institutions in Pakistan, he said many Saudis preferred sending their children, specially girls, for higher education to Pakistan as they saw it as a conservative Muslim country.

"Many Saudi students want to come here," Ambassador Asseri said, hinting that leading Pakistani educational institutions need to be more pro-active in marketing themselves in Saudi Arabia.

Predicting "huge cooperation" in the health sector, he announced that the Health Minister of Saudi Arabia would visit Pakistan in the next few days to discuss matters pertaining to the cooperation.

He said other important dignitaries from Saudi Arabia will also be visiting the country in the coming months, including the Minister of Commerce and Chairman of the Majlis-i- Shoora, who is also the Grand Imam of Kaaba.

"I can assure you that, on account of this visit, Saudi-Pakistan relations will see a significant and positive development in coming years," Ambassador Asseri maintained, pointing out that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had lived in Saudi Arabia and has many friends in high places.

He maintained that in the area of defence the two countries had extremely good cooperation and hoped that they would have such fruitful cooperation also in the fields of education, health and commerce.

The articulate Saudi envoy who has been active in expanding the scope of existing relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia was confident that coming years will witness a rapid expansion of relations between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

"In addition to helping the people of the two countries, this expansion will also make a positive contribution towards the cause of the Muslims throughout the World," he observed.

Responding to a question ambassador Asseri said Saudi-Pakistan relations remained unaffected by a change of government in Pakistan. He recounted that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was the third Prime Minister of Pakistan to have visited Saudi Arabia over the last four months.

"Saudi Arabia and Pakistan enjoy a unique and genuine relationship that keeps growing with every leadership that comes into power," the Saudi ambassador said. He was certain that under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Saudi-Pakistan relations would become ever more deep and ever more solid.

In reply to a question he said the stability of Iraq was very important not only for Saudi Arabia but to the entire world. The Saudi Kingdom wanted to see a strong and stable Iraq, he said.