Chandigarh [India]May 4 (ANI): Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O’Farrell on Wednesday addressed Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Manh and expressed great interest in establishing cooperation, especially in agriculture and skills development with Punjab on the Gujarat and Maharashtra template.
Responding to O’Farrell’s offer, Mann assured him of all the cooperation and support in this regard to advance the Punjab on a high-growth trajectory, specifying these plans of mutual interest.
Seeking to boost bilateral trade, an Australian three-member delegation led by O’Farrell, including MP Gurmesh Singh and second political secretary Jack Taylor, visited the chief minister at his official residence today Wednesday.
O’Farrell informed Manu of the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (IndAus ECTA). He said: “IndAus ECTA is India’s first bilateral trade agreement with a major developed economy in the last 10 years, aimed at doubling bilateral trade.” He also noted that Australia’s goal is to bring India into the top three export markets by 2035. and make it the third largest area of foreign investment in Asia.
O’Farel went on to say that Punjab can benefit immensely from establishing cooperation with Australia, especially in agriculture and agribusiness, as its progressive farmers have extensive experience and expertise in food production.
Taking part in the discussions, Bhagwant Mann said that the Punjabis, thanks to their entrepreneurship and resilience, have made a significant contribution to the overall socio-economic development of all major countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Britain, USA, Italy, etc. .
The chief minister said Punjab has several franchises in different parts of the world, namely. “There is a big Punjab in Vancouver, Toronto, Sydney, Auckland, apart from a mini Punjab in the UK.” The Chief Minister asked the arriving delegation to contact his team of officers, led by his additional Secretary-General, A. Ven Prasad, who was also present at the meeting, to bear fruit on these proposals of mutual interest between the two sides on the ground.
O’Farrell thanked the head of state and stressed the much-needed synergy for expanding bilateral ties to promote trade and business with Punjab.
He assured Bhagwant Mana that their team would also actively cooperate with the Punjab to further strengthen their economic cooperation. (ANI)
