Minister for Foreign Affairs Stephen Smith will be in India until this Thursday to reassure the Indian government that the Federal Government is taking Indian student safety seriously, following a significant drop in Indian tertiary enrolments this year.
Smith released a statement that said he would “brief the Indian Government on the actions taken by authorities to create a safe and rewarding study environment for Indian students in Australia” when he meets with his counterpart S M Krishna to “discuss Australia’s and India’s close cooperation in trying to solve the recent problems faced by some Indians in Australia”.
The visit will also have a broader focus on advancing Australia and India’s bilateral, regional and international cooperation under the framework of the Australia-India Strategic Partnership, said Smith, adding that he will also review security arrangements ahead of the Commonwealth Games later this year.
