Australia keen to forge pact with Punjab in agriculture, skill development
Darpan News Desk IANS, 04 May, 2022 10:00 AM
Chandigarh, May 4 (IANS) In a bid to give fillip to bilateral trade, Australian High Commissioner Barry O'Farrell on Wednesday evinced keen interest to forge collaboration especially in the field of agriculture and skill development with Punjab on the pattern of Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Responding to O'Farrell's proposal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann assured him of all cooperation and support in this regard so as to propel Punjab in the high growth trajectory by concretizing these plans of mutual interest.
A three-member Australian delegation led by O'Farrell, including Member Parliament Gurmesh Singh and Second Secretary Political Jack Taylor, called on the Chief Minister here.
Apprising Mann about the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (IndAus ECTA), O'Farrell said it is the India's first bilateral trade agreement with a large, developed economy in 10 years, which aims to double two-way trade.
He mentioned that Australia's goal is to lift India into their top three export markets by 2035 and make it third largest outward investment destination in Asia.
Pointing out further, O'Farrell said Punjab could be immensely benefitted by forging collaboration with Australia especially in the field of agriculture and agro-industry as its progressive farmers have a proven track record of vast experience and expertise in food production.
Taking part in the deliberations, Mann said that Punjabis due to their enterprising and resilience nature have fairly contributed in the overall socio-economic development of all the major countries across the globe, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UK, the US, Italy, etc.
Mann said: "Punjab has several franchises in the different parts of the world viz. there is a big Punjab in Vancouver, Toronto, Sydney, Auckland, besides a mini-Punjab in the UK".
The Chief Minister asked the visiting delegation to be in touch with his team of officers headed by his Additional Chief Secretary A. Venu Prasad, who was also present in the meeting, to fructify these proposals of mutual interest between the both sides on the ground.
Expressing gratitude to the Chief Minister, O'Farrell emphasised on the much needed synergy to boost bilateral ties for promotion of trade and business with Punjab.
He assured Mann that their team would also pro-actively engage with Punjab to further strengthen their economic cooperation.
Making the disclosure in a telephonic interview to Pakistani journalist Nadeem Malik of Hum News in his talk show, Pervez Musharraf also welcomed the action against the Jaish-e-Mohammed, saying it had tried to assassinate him twice
Saffron-kurta clad lathi wielding youths beat-up three Kashmiri young men selling dry fruits at Daliganj Bridge in Lucknow on Wednesday accusing them of pelting stones in Kashmir.
The government will come out with the first-ever Rs 20 coin which will be shaped like a 12-edged polygon with design of grains to denote farm dominance in the country.
The Rajasthan government has granted Indian citizenship to 44 Pakistani migrants living in the state since January this year under a special campaign, a senior official said on Thursday.
Mohammed Afzal Naik and Abdul Salaam expressed their gratitude to the passers-by who intervened when they were being beaten up by members of a right-wing group.
The exercise will immediately make 229 officers of various ranks posted in army headquarters available for field formations. The Army headquarter will have a new deputy chief of army staff
