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 tomorrow.
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.
Rudd 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.
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