Australia sent a message to India Saturday night after its conservative government conceded defeat in national elections and outgoing prime minister Scott Morrison congratulated his successor, Anthony Albanese, over the opposition Labor Party's win. The Australian high commissioner pointed out that Albanese 'is no stranger to India' having backpacked through the country in 1991.
"Australia's PM-elect Anthony Albanese is no stranger to India having travelled the country as a backpacker in 1991 and led a parliamentary delegation in 2018. During (the) campaign he committed to deepen economic, strategic and people-to-people links," Barry O'Farrell AO said.
National elections in Australia this weekend followed the signing of an economic cooperation and trade agreement between the two countries in April in the presence of prime minister Narendra Modi and Scott Morrison.
{{/usCountry}}National elections in Australia this weekend followed the signing of an economic cooperation and trade agreement between the two countries in April in the presence of prime minister Narendra Modi and Scott Morrison.
{{/usCountry}}The broad terms of the agreement will see tariffs eliminated on more than 85 per cent of Australian goods to India and visa norms for students and professionals, including yoga teachers, liberalised. India will get cheaper raw materials for the steel, aluminium and textile industries.
97 per cent of Indian goods will immediately gain preferential access to Australia after the agreement is operationalised and the rest will happen over the next five years, officials said.
The agreement - inked in a virtual ceremony by union commerce and industries minister Piyush Goyal and Dan Tehan, the Australian minister for trade, tourism and investment - is expected to be implemented in about four months.
Days later, Morrison - commemorating India-Australia ties - also cooked Indian delicacies on his 'curry night' and shared the photos on Instagram. "To celebrate our new trade agreement with India, the curries I chose to cook for curry night tonight are all from my dear friend prime minister Narendra Modi's Gujurat province, including his favourite khichdi," Morrison said.
"Jen, girls and mum all approve," he added.
Australia is India's 17th largest trading partner. Delhi is Canberra's 9th largest partner.