Melbourne: A range of issues, including
frequent attacks on Indian students here and uranium sales,
are expected to dominate the agenda of talks Australian Prime
Minister Kevin Rudd will have with the top Indian leadership
during his two-day India visit beginning Wednesday.
Rudd will arrive in Mumbai tomorrow and meet top
business leaders in India`s commercial capital besides
watching the India-Australia cricket match. On Thursday, he
will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi.
"Rudd will visit Mumbai and New Delhi for meetings
with business and political leaders. His discussions will
cover the full breadth of the Australia-India relationship
including strategic affairs; our shared multilateral
priorities; energy and climate change and sport," a spokesman
for the Prime Minister said on the eve of his visit.
Rudd will also discuss high-end science, technology
and education collaboration and the fast growing economic and
trade partnership with the Indian leaders.
The visit follows efforts by a parade of state and
federal government ministers who have tried in recent months
to repair damage to the international student sector in the
wake of attacks on Indian students.
Over 30 Indian students were attacked during the past
five months in various Australian cities.
Sale of uranium from Australia to India and Rudd
government`s stand to not give the same as New Delhi is not a
signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is also
expected to come up during the parleys, ahead of a review of
the NPT next year.
Australia and India may use the visit to announce the
start of negotiations towards a free trade agreement after a
feasibility study reportedly found a deal to be favourable to
both countries, Australian media reported.
India is Australia`s fourth biggest export market and,
like China, is crucial to growth prospects over the coming
decades.
From India, Rudd heads to Singapore for the 17th
annual summit of leaders from the Asia Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) member economies, on November 14-15.
The Prime Minister will use his visit to focus on a
range of issues, including climate change, a conclusion to the
Doha round of world trade talks and his long-term proposal for
an Asia-Pacific Community, local media said.
Bureau Report
