New Delhi: Describing the recent attacks on
Indian students in Australia as "tragic", Foreign Secretary
Nirupama Rao has said the environment of fear and suspicion
prevailing in that nation is not good for bilateral relations.
The violent incidents are of grave concern to us and also
for parents who are mostly from the middle-class and send
their children there at great cost and difficulty, she said.
"These incidents have shaken the confidence of Indian
students and their parents about Australia," Rao said in an
interview to `Outlook` magazine.
"It is very very important to restore that confidence. A
climate of fear and suspicion is not good for the relationship
between the two countries," she said.
Commenting on Sino-Indian relations, the foreign
secretary said, the cooperation between India and China at
Copenhagen has helped establish a very positive paradigm.
Arguing that Copenhagen ought not to have surprised
people, Rao said, "Setting aside what one many have seen in
the media, we have to acknowledge that the relationship has
grown tremendously in the last few years."
On Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed`s visit
to India next week, she said it will be a "landmark" event
Indo-Bangladesh bilateral relations.
"Considering the spirit of mutual trust and confidence, I
think both governments are on the same page," she said.
PTI
