After a gap of 28 years: PM Narendra Modi's Australia trip to boost trade, investment, energy and security partnership

NEW DELHI: In the first trip to Australia by an Indian Prime Minister in 28 years, Narendra Modi will engage with his counterpart Tony Abbott to boost trade, investment, energy and security partnership, and look for avenues to remove red tape that investors face in the two countries.

Following Modi-Abbott talks on November 17-18 in Canberra and Melbourne, India and Australia will ink five MoUs in the areas of social security, transfer of sentenced prisoners, counter-narcotics, culture and tourism, senior Australian government officials told ET.

“The relationship has come of age in the past three decades as we aim to realise full potential in the bilateral ties in wide-ranging areas from trade to security. We want to make this visit as fruitful as possible,” said an Australian government official, requesting anonymity.

Modi, who is visiting Australia within three months of Abbott’s visit to India as PM, will arrive in Brisbane on November 15 and cover Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne during his four-day trip, signalling an interest in expanding bilateral ties.

The social security agreement expected to be signed by the two countries will not only address hurdles faced by Indian professionals in Australia and vice versa but also help reduce costs of Australian businesses in India, officials said.

The agreements on transfer of sentenced persons and counter-narcotics will enable combating transnational crimes. India has emerged as a trans-shipment point for narcotics from Af-Pak-Iran regions to Australia, officials said. The MoU on culture entails festival of India in Australia next year as Indian culture and movies have emerged as big hits in the country down under.