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Australia PM cooks 'friend' Modi's 'favourite' khichdi, 'celebrates' new trade ties
India and Australia recently signed an economic cooperation and trade agreement under which Canberra would provide duty-free access in its market for over 6,000 broad sectors of India, including textiles, leather, furniture, jewellery and machinery.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison commemorated India-Australia ties by cooking Indian delicacies on his “curry night”, the photos of which he also posted on his Instagram handle. “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 wrote on Instagram, featuring photos of the food and him in the kitchen. “Jen, girls and mum all approve,” he added.
India and Australia recently signed an economic cooperation and trade agreement under which Canberra would provide duty-free access in its market for over 6,000 broad sectors of India, including textiles, leather, furniture, jewellery and machinery. The agreement – inked by Union minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goyal and Australian minister for trade, tourism and investment Dan Tehan in a virtual ceremony – is likely to be implemented in about four months. Modi and Morrison were also present during the virtual ceremony.
Goyal had said the agreement would help in taking bilateral trade from USD 27.5 billion at present to USD 45-50 billion in the next five years.
Under the pact, Australia is offering zero-duty access to India for about 96.4 per cent of exports (by value) from day one. This covers many products which currently attract 4-5 per cent customs duty in Australia.
India, on the other hand, will be offering zero duty access for over 85 per cent of its tariff lines for Australia which will include products like coal, sheep meat, wool, LNG, coal, alumina, metallic ores, including manganese, copper and nickel; titanium and zirconium.
Days after inking the pact, Piyush Goyal also paid a three-day visit to Melbourne in Australia.
Australia is the 17th largest trading partner of India, while New Delhi is Canberra's 9th largest partner.
(With agency inputs)
