Photo shows Sheba Nandkeolyar – National Vice Chair Australia India Business Council, Prime Minister, Tony Abbott and Dipen Rughani – National Chair Australia India Business Council. Photo: PM Office
By Neeraj Nanda
Melbourne, 29 August : A delegation of Australia India Business Council (AIBC) consisting of Sheba Nandkeolyar – National Vice Chair and Dipen Rughani – National Chair today met the Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and presented him a copy of the White Paper – Australia India Trade Relationship – Past, Present and Future, jointly prepared by the Australia India Business Council and the Australia India Institute.
The White Paper presented to Prime Minister Abbott before his visit to India starting 4th September next month, says that there was an urgent need to reverse the declining trade with India which dropped by over 26 per cent between 2009 to 2013, sketches a blueprint for the federal government to take the bilateral relations to a higher level.
The paper says that despite improvements in political and strategic fronts, trade relations were declining and if steps were not taken to correct both nations would stand to lose.
Talking to SAT by phone from Sydney, Dipen Rughani said the Prime Minister was ‘very much looking forward to meeting India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
” Tony Abbott will be the first foreign Prime Minister to meet Modi in New Delhi after he took over as India’s PM”, he said.
The White Paper is embargoed for publication till Tony Abbott returns back home on 7th September.
– SAT News Service
