Australia trade pact
Just when the western bloc has been attempting to censure India for circumventing the sanctions regime against Russia, it comes as a whiff of fresh air that Australia, a co-member of the Quad grouping, has extended a much-needed hand of friendship to India with the signing of ECTA (Page 1, April 3). That Canberra is keen on bolstering its ties with India was very clear when, in March, it ceremoniously returned 29 antiquities to India. What is heartening is that Australia is taking a more realistic view of India’s stand on the Ukraine issue than the other members of the Quad. It cannot be denied that bilateral trade has been skewed toward Australia and one hopes that the recently inked ECTA will effectively bridge the wide gap in the trade imbalance between the two countries.
Nalini Vijayaraghavan,
