New Delhi, November 12
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd today assured Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that his government was fully committed to ensuring the security of Indian students who have been victims of racial attacks in recent months and would take all steps necessary in this regard

Building upon the significant expansion of bilateral ties in recent years, the two countries decided to upgrade their relations to the level of a strategic partnership. They also signed an MoU on cooperation in the field of water resources.

Rudd, however, reiterated Australia’s inability to export uranium to India, as it was not a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT).

The two Prime Ministers held wide-ranging talks. Prime Minister Singh was assisted by External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, Commerce Minister Anand Sharma and National Security Adviser MK Narayanan, while the Australian side included Australian Deputy National Security Adviser Angus Campbell and High Commissioner to India Peter Verghese.

Official sources said the talks were held in a cordial atmosphere with the two sides discussing all bilateral issues as well as international developments. Defence and security, maritime cooperation, possibility of an early conclusion of a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) were high on the agenda of the two sides. The security situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan was discussed in the context of the regional situation.

The Australia PM knew what was agitating the minds of Indians — the racial attacks on India students. He was also well aware that Australia’s long-standing position of not exporting uranium to countries that are not signatories to the NPT is a cause of concern to India. He addressed both issues in detail while addressing an august gathering at a function organised by the Indian Council of World Affairs.

The attacks on foreign students studying in Australia ‘as our guests’ would not be tolerated, Rudd asserted, adding they would be dealt with by the full force of the Australian law enforcement and criminal justice systems.

Noting that Indian students had recently overtaken China to become the largest source of overseas students in Australia numbering close to 100,000, Rudd, however, pointed out that no government could guarantee that no acts of violence would occur.

On the thorny issue of uranium supply, Rudd made it known that there was no change in Australia’s position that it would not sell uranium to countries that have not acceded to the NPT. ‘’This is not a policy directed at India. It applies globally and it has since 1978 under different Australian governments. We have not sought to isolate India on critical nuclear policy concerns.’’

Coming to bilateral economic ties, Rudd said he welcomed the imminent conclusion of the joint feasibility study on a prospective FTA between India and Australia.