ARCHIVED MEDIA RELEASE
PA/2/2002 21 January 2002
Australia and India strengthen links in agricultural research
India and Australia have further strengthened their cooperation in practical agricultural research with the signing of an agreement between two prestigious research organisations.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the Indian Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will foster and enhance bilateral scientific and agricultural cooperation.
The MoU was signed by the Australian High Commissioner to India, Ms Penelope Wensley AO, and the Director General of CSIR, Dr Mashelkar, on 18 January.
The MoU, which formalises collaboration between these two research organisations, is expected to facilitate further agricultural research projects and exchanges between Indian and Australian scientists.
CSIR and ACIAR have worked together successfully on a number of projects in recent years. The MoU signals the value both these institutions attach to expanding their cooperation in the future, contributing to the development of the broader relationship between Australia and India.
The Australian and Indian governments share a vision for scientific research that benefits their people. Agricultural research is of particular importance to both countries. Given the similarity of climate and soils of the two countries and the priority to sustainable agriculture, there is great