New Delhi: India and Australia today explored ways for early conclusion of the Administrative Arrangements on civil nuclear cooperation to facilitate the flow of uranium amid Australian assurances that they may conclude by this year end.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held extensive talks with her Australian counterpart Julia Bishop during which Swaraj also raised the killing of an Indian woman IT professional in a Sydney suburb last month. To this the visiting minister assured that the perpetrators of the fatal knife attack will be brought to justice.
According to officials, Bishop told Swaraj that a special task force has been set up to investigate the matter.
Bengaluru techie Prabha Arun Kumar was stabbed to death while returning home in Sydney on March 8.
The 10th India-Australia Foreign Ministers Framework Dialogue was held in a "friendly and cooperative atmosphere with exchange of views on all focus areas of interest", an External Affairs Ministry release said.
Recognising the importance of finalising a mutually beneficial free trade pact, the ministers encouraged strong business links and highlighted the role of the CEOs' Forum and Make in India Show to be held in Australia later in the year.
"They also explored ways for an early conclusion of the Administrative Arrangements on civil nuclear cooperation to facilitate the flow of Uranium," it said.
Australia holds about a third of the world's recoverable uranium resources, and exports nearly 7,000 tonnes a year. The nuclear pact under which Canberra will supply uranium was signed after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Tony Abbott here last September.
The two sides also expressed satisfaction with ongoing cooperation in defence and security and discussed measures to further enhance regional cooperation in view of recent developments in the Asia-Pacific region.
Bishop also invited Swaraj to visit Australia which was accepted by the Indian minister.
Swaraj and Bishop agreed to strengthen cooperation to upgrade the Indian School of Mines in Dhanbad and establish a Sports University in India, the release said.
They also decided to exchange expertise for water management projects, including the Clean Ganga programme, a pet project of Prime Minister Modi.
Highlighting the importance of people-to-people contacts, the two leaders welcomed the establishment of the Indian Cultural Centre in Sydney, the forthcoming Festival of India in Australia and growing tourism and cultural exchanges.
They noted the growing community of Indian students in Australia and the introduction of the New Colombo Plan which will bring Australian students to India, it added.
The ministers also discussed cooperation in the area of skills development.
