Indo-Australian trade is on a great trajectory owing to the recently floated free trade agreement — the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) — and exports from India to Australia have gone up substantially, said Australian High Commissioner Philip Green. He said that Australia is actively exploring the possibilities in building Amaravati capital city in Andhra Pradesh.
Speaking to the media, before a meeting with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in Amaravati, Mr. Green said, “In the last five years, India’s exports to the world have gone up by about 37% but in the same period, India’s exports of goods to Australia were up by 66%, nearly twice as much.”
With regard to the trade pact, there is a 77% utilisation rate by traders and key sectors in the last four months of this year; Indian exports of apparel have gone up more than 20%, iron and steel by 25% and agriculture exports up by 30%.
Mr. Green said he was visiting to congratulate Mr. Naidu on his election victory and also to explore development opportunities in Amaravati. “We can talk about a number of sectors where Australia has interest in engaging — education, agriculture, water management, green energy, supply chain etc. You may know, Canberra, the capital of Australia was developed from three sheep farms. And it’s now one of the most beautiful capitals in the world. I’ll be listening very carefully to what Chief Minister Mr. Naidu has to say on the plans for Amaravati,” he said.
Australia is also focused on export of clean coal, critical minerals for green hydrogen, green battery manufacture, green steel, iron ore and solar panels needed for rooftops. “Mr. Modi wants over ten million roofs with solar panels across the country, a huge opportunity for Australia,” Mr. Green said.
He lauded the contribution of the Indian diaspora in Australia in the fields of information technology and other service sectors. The Indian community makes up over one million, out of the 26 million population of Australia. “It’s the fastest growing community in our country. Last year, over 1,00,000 visas were issued to people from India,” he said.
Russian invasion on Ukraine ‘unconscionable’
On the geo-political scenario, Mr. Green said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a clear breach of international law by a country, which is in the Security Council. “Russia has signed multiple treaties with Ukraine to protect its territorial integrity… So, what Russia has done in Ukraine is, for us, unconscionable and we will continue our strong support to Ukraine,” he asserted.
When asked about India accessing cheaper oil from Russia, he said it was a bilateral arrangement between the two countries and a part of traditional relations between them.
A major part of India’s multi-alignment in the Indo-Pacific region is in close engagement with Western countries and it is bringing India and Australia closer together as the countries seek to redress the problems in security, Mr. Green said. He added, “We want India to be successful globally. We back India’s ambition to be a permanent member of the UN Security Council. We think that’s fair and we think that’s right. We want India’s vision for the global self to be translated into reality.”
India’s trans-shipment hub at Nicobar
On India’s trans-shipment hub, which is under construction at Galatea bay in the Nicobar islands, the Australian envoy said he preferred direct shipment instead of trans-shipment. “A lot of our trade is trans-shipped through ports like Singapore. But as we grow the economic partnership, why don’t we have direct shipping lines from the west coast of Australia to the east coast of India?,” Mr. Green said.
