New Delhi: Hours after India warned it of
"adverse" effect of the continuing attacks on Indians,
Australia on Thursday acknowledged that it would impact on some
aspects of bilateral ties but refused to treat it as a threat
to overall relationship between the two countries.
Expressing deep "anguish" over the continuous attacks in
Australia, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said "unless
there is an immediate stop to all such attacks, our
people-to-people level exchanges, which includes education
and tourism, will get adversely affected."
Terming as "measured and constructive" reaction of Indian
government to these attacks, Australian High Commissioner
Peter Varghese told a news agency, "This (assaults) is an issue which
have potential to flow on to the sort of things that the
minister has mentioned from education relationship to the
tourism relationship."
Asked if he sees the Indian reaction as a threat to
the bilateral relationship at overall level, he said "I don't
read it as a threat at all. I just see it as an observation
about what the consequences might be.
"I don't think it is an unreasonable observation to say
that the continuation of these attacks would not have an
effect on the people-to-people exchanges that includes
education and tourism."
Assuring that his government was taking several
preventive steps to check attacks contrary to various media
reports, Varghese said he does not believe that these assaults
will have any effect on the trade and investment ties between
the two countries.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, January 21, 2010, 09:21