Abbott in India as Oz PM’S spl trade envoy

NEW DELHI: Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott is visiting the country during August 2-6 as Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s special trade envoy for India to deepen trade and investment ties.

Abbott will meet Indian ministers, business leaders and think tanks to energise the bilateral economic relationship, Australian high commission Barry O’farrell said on Monday.

“The Australia-india bilateral relationship is at an historic high. In 2020, Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi and Prime Minister Morrison elevated our relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership. We also committed to strengthening our economic relationship,” O’farrell

said.

“Australia is keen to deepen our trade and investment links with India and take our economic relationship to the next level,” he added.

O’farrell said Australia believes increasing bilateral trade and investment will help drive economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and build secure and resilient supply chains. Abbott was appointed the prime minister’s special trade envoy for India to take forward this important agenda.

Abbott’s discussions with Indian interlocutors will focus on the India-australia comprehensive economic cooperation agreement, “which will propel our economic relationship to its full potential, to the mutual benefit of the Indian and Australian people”, O’farrell said.