Attacks on Indian students and issue of lifting of ban on uranium exports will be high on the agenda of External Affairs Minister S M Krishna when he begins discussions with Australian leadership from Thursday. Krishna,who is arriving here tonight,will meet Prime Minister Kevin Rudd,his Australian counterpart Stephen Smith and will participate in the Annual Post Forum Dialogue Meeting of the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) in Cairns during his five day-long visit. The minister will meet Australian Prime Minister during which Krishna will take up the issue of lifting of ban of uranium exports to India, informed sources told PTI. They said the minister will also put across Indias track record of non-proliferation during the discussions. However,Australian government has been maintaining that Australia will not review its policy on export of uranium to India unless New Delhi signs the NPT. The policy in relation to uranium export is that we export it to signatories of NPT only. It is not a question of a decision about India or any other country. Probably inside India,there is not a large understanding of how controversial the issue of uranium export has been in Australias politics, Australian Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Chris Evans had said recently during his visit to New Delhi. On the issue of attacks on Indian students,the sources said Krishna will also apprise himself of the measures put in place by Australia to ensure their safety and security. The minister will visit Sydney and Melbourne,to hear first-hand,about the problems being faced by Indian students and will discuss the matter of their safety and security with the State leadership, an official statement said. In both the cities,Krishna will meet prominent members of the Indian community and students. Krishna will also attend the 16-country grouping PIF Summit in Cairns. The PIF is an inter-governmental organisation which aims to enhance the cooperation between countries in the region. Besides discussion on regional issues,the meeting is also expected to deliberate on important issues like financial crisis and climate change. On his way to Australia,Krishna also made a stop-over in Singapore where he held a meeting with the Foreign Minister and discussed issues of bilateral cooperation.
