Mukherjee visit to take ties with Australia to new high

Canberra: India and Australia will sign two important treaties - on extradition and mutual legal assistance - on Monday during External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's maiden visit Down Under as the two countries hope to take bilateral ties to a new high.

"This century Australia and India can cooperate on a scale and partnership not seen before between our two nations," Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said in Canberra yesterday.

"Both governments are committed to taking the Australia-India relationship to a new, higher level. I am very much looking forward to holding wide-ranging talks with Mukherjee covering key bilateral, regional and international issues," said Smith.

Mukherjee is to attend the fifth Australia-India Foreign Ministers Framework Dialogue, the first since 2005, today.

Mukherjee then meets important opinion makers in India House, before going to parliament for Question Hour. He meets new Labour Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in the evening when the Extradition and Mutual Legal Assistance treaties are likely to be signed to strengthen growing bilateral ties.

Important relations

"The fact that our External Affairs Minister is arriving here reflects the kind of importance we give to our bilateral relationship with Australia," Sujatha Singh, Indian High Commissioner in Canberra, said.

Mukherjee's visit follows high-level contact with India this year. As many as seven Indian ministers have travelled to Australia this year: the ministers for science and technology, civil aviation, commerce and industry, youth affairs and sport, steel, and food processing industries.

On Friday, Foreign Minister Smith delivered a speech on "India: A new partnership for a new century" in his hometown Perth, highlighting the importance Australia places on a much stronger partnership with India.

He admitted that "governments in Canberra have frankly both under-appreciated and neglected our relationship with India for a long period".

The new Labour government's move to reverse the former John Howard-led Liberal government's decision to export uranium to India has been a thorn in this otherwise warm relationship.

However, High Commissioner Singh said: "There is so much going on between the two countries with substantial outcomes in the entire gamut of areas - economic, defence, science and technology, education, tourism and every other aspect possible."