New Delhi: The Indian government has said that the issue of delay in Indian student visas will be raised with the Australian government during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Australia. This issue will be an important part of the talks between the leaders of the two countries.
In response to a question, Joint Secretary (Indo-Pacific) of the Ministry of External Affairs Vishwesh Negi said that Australia is still a very popular country for Indian students to study. He said that the Indian government is aware of the delay in approval of student visas and other problems related to the admission process.
He said that India is constantly in touch with the Australian government to ensure that the visa process does not adversely affect the opportunities of genuine students and professionals to study or work in Australia. He said that this issue will be part of the discussion between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Australian leadership.
Giving information about the Prime Minister's three-nation visit, External Affairs Secretary Rudrendra Tandon said that Narendra Modi will visit Indonesia on July 8 and 9, Australia on July 10 and New Zealand on July 11. He said that in Melbourne, the Prime Minister will participate in the third India-Australia Annual Summit. During this, there will be detailed discussions on increasing bilateral cooperation in areas such as critical minerals, cyber security, strengthening supply chains and new technologies.
He also said that after Australia, the Prime Minister will go to New Zealand, where he will meet Prime Minister Christopher Laxman. He said that this will be the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to New Zealand in the last 40 years.
In response to a question about active Khalistan supporters in Australia, Rudrendra Tandon said that India takes a strong stand against terrorism and violent extremism at every international forum. He said that India constantly reminds the world that terrorism and violent extremism pose a serious threat to international peace and security and that terrorism is a grave crime against humanity. He expressed confidence that Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand also share India's strong views on this issue.