ARCHIVED MEDIA RELEASE
PA/4/2002 19 April 2002
Australian Foreign Minister to visit India
The Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Alexander Downer, will visit India from 21-23 April 2002 for high-level discussions with political and business leaders in New Delhi.
Mr Downer will participate in the second Australia-India Foreign Ministers' framework dialogue with the Minister for External Affairs, Mr Jaswant Singh.
The foreign ministers' meeting is a follow up to the inaugural framework dialogue held in June 2001 during Mr Singh's visit to Australia. The New Delhi meeting will build on the successes of that dialogue, as well as the first bilateral strategic dialogue (of August 2001), in discussing a broad range of bilateral, regional and international issues and challenges in the security environment, including terrorism.
Mr Downer is also scheduled to call on Prime Minister A B Vajpayee and several Indian Ministers - including the Defence Minister and the Home Minister - to discuss the growing relationship between the two countries, regional security issues post-September 11, and Commonwealth matters, including India's recent membership of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group.
Australia's exports to India have experienced record above-average growth in the last 12 months. India is now Australia's 13th largest export market. Two-way trade in the 2001 calendar year grew to three billion Australian dollars.
Mr Downer will meet with industry bodies and business community leaders to encourage the growing bilateral trade and economic relationship and promote the advantages of doing business with Australia.
Mr Downer is expected to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to enhance cooperation in the tourism sector. The MOU will help promote bilateral tourism which has achieved double-digit growth in recent years.
Mr Downer will also witness the signing of an MOU on cooperation in cultural heritage between AusHeritage, Australia's national network of cultural heritage practitioners, and the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).
Australia and India share an ever-increasing range of interests and contacts, building upon a recognition that India's strategic significance stems not just from its size and geographic position, but also from its rapid reform, globalisation and growing economy. Mr Downer last visited India in March 2000.
For further information, please contact Rory Medcalf, First Secretary, on telephone 6888223, extn. 197.