Security pact, education focus during Aussie PM Malcolm Turnbull visit

On the security cooperation, sources said India is an important strategic partner for Australia and both countries have “significant interest” in the Indian Ocean.

The defence relations are “incredibly strong” as there have been special forces exercises, four Australian ship visits and chiefs of the Navy and the Army have visited each other last year. “The two sides want to upgrade (relations) and put it under an umbrella agreement,” a source said.

But a much-awaited trade pact, the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, is unlikely to be signed during the visit, although both leaders are likely to reaffirm their commitment to pursue negotiations. The two leaders had given an ambitious target of December 2015 for the conclusion of the pact, but failed to reach a compromise.

“The Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) will not be signed during this visit. Negotiations are under way but the pact will not be signed,” Australia’s High Commissioner to India Harinder Sidhu said on the eve of the visit.

The Australian side is also laying emphasis on education links between the two countries as more than 60,000 Indian students study in Australia. In a bid to woo more Indian students, Turnbull will be accompanied by a delegation comprising the education minister and vice-chancellors of Australian universities. “Education will be the centrepiece of the visit,” an Australian diplomat said.

Australia’s Minister for Education and Training, Simon Birmingham, is expected to bring one of the largest Australian delegations of skills providers and higher education representatives to India.

After meetings in Delhi, Turnbull will travel to Mumbai to engage with leading Indian CEOs and business people.

He is also expected to meet Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani.

The Adani megamine project in central Queensland is expected to get approval within weeks but the company is also eager for the Australian government to resolve its native title dilemma, which has been stalled in the Senate.

A section of Australian native tribes has opposed a mining project in the Galilee Basin.

The Australian government has amendments to native title legislation that must be passed before Adani can get court approval to start development of the project.