Chennai: Australian Deputy Prime Minister
Julia Gillard on Thursday said there was no reduction in the number
of Indian students seeking to study in her country in the wake
of the recent attacks and claimed it remained "overwhelmingly
safe" for them.
"Australia remained overwhelmingly safe and welcoming
and any Indian visiting the country can expect a warm
welcome," she told reporters here.
Replying to questions on the attacks on Indian
students, she said like any other country in the world,
instances of crime were present in Australia also but said the
government had a "zero tolerance" policy towards such
incidents.
Policing measures had been increased in Melbourne and
Sydney from where the incidents were reported.
To a question, she said all international education
institutions in the country had to re-register following a set
of quality norms and this was being done to ensure the
"highest level of quality and benchmark".
During her current visit to India, it has been decided
to organise an annual ministerial level meeting which would
broaden and deepen the "existing strong relationship in
education and research," she said.
Gillard also defended Australia's policy not to sell
uranium to India despite New Delhi securing the Nuclear
Supplies Group (NSG) approval, reiterating Canberra's policy
not to allow non signatories of NPT to procure the material.
She, however, pledged Canberra's support to India's
energy security needs. "Australia understands India's security
needs and wants to be a partner with provision of coal and
liquified natural gas (LNG)," she said.
Her discussions with Indian officials during her
current visit centered around Australia as a coal provider and
LNG supplier and energy security issues.
The two countries had recently entered into an
agreement following which LNG will be supplied to India from
the northwest of Australia, Gillard said.
She also expressed her country's "desire" to enter
into "strategic partnership" with India to deepen
collaboration on security matters, energy security, climate
change, trade and education and research.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, September 03, 2009, 20:36