Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09MELBOURNE114
2009-10-20 02:22:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Consulate Melbourne
Cable title:
AUSTRALIAN BANDAID DIPLOMACY IN INDIA
how-toVZCZCXRO3030 RR RUEHPT DE RUEHBN #0114/01 2930222 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 200222Z OCT 09 FM AMCONSUL MELBOURNE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5011 INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0082 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 3656 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0037 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0012 RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 1623 RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY 2142 RUEAUSA/DEPT OF EDUCATION WASHDC RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MELBOURNE 000114
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV IN AS
SUBJECT: AUSTRALIAN BANDAID DIPLOMACY IN INDIA
REF: A. MELBOURNE 89
B. MELBOURNE 65
Classified By: Justin Kolbeck, Pol/Econ Officer for reason 1.4 b
Summary
-------
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MELBOURNE 000114
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV IN AS
SUBJECT: AUSTRALIAN BANDAID DIPLOMACY IN INDIA
REF: A. MELBOURNE 89
B. MELBOURNE 65
Classified By: Justin Kolbeck, Pol/Econ Officer for reason 1.4 b
Summary
--------------
1. (C/NF) Three high level visits to India by Australian
officials have had only a limited impact on cooling tempers
still hot from a spike in violence against Indian students in
Melbourne. Despite recent troubles and a historically
inconsistent relationship, both India and Australia are
making noises about deepening their engagement with one
another. End Summary.
Three Tickets to India, Please
--------------
2. (U) Responding to an uptick in violence against a number
of Australia's approximately 70,000 Indian students (ref. B),
Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Victoria Premier John
Brumby visited India separately in August and September.
During a five day visit in late August/early September,
Gillard, who is also Australia's Education Minister, met with
several Indian officials including Indian PM Singh with whom
she reaffirmed in general terms Australia's commitment to
forge closer ties with India. She also met with Kapil Sibal,
India's Minister for Human Resources Development and
committed to an annual ministerial dialogue to address common
education concerns. Brumby conducted a similar visit in late
September, meeting with the Indian Minister for Overseas
Indian Affairs, Minister Sibal and others. Foreign Minister
Stephen Smith also visited India in early October.
3. (C/NF) Former Australian Consul General to Mumbai, Shabbir
Wahid told us on October 7 that Gillard's visit was a "wasted
opportunity." According to Wahid, Gillard focused too
narrowly on her Education Minister portfolio, coming away
from her meeting with PM Singh with only vague commitments to
closer bilateral collaboration and a proposal to establish an
Australian university in India. Wahid went on to say that
Australian-Indian relations have too long revolved around the
"three shared C's:" curry, cricket and Commonwealth;
Australia is missing significant commercial opportunities in
India due to its failure to engage more broadly with India.
4. (C/NF) Victoria's Treasurer John Lenders told Consul
General on October 8 that Brumby's trip was similarly
ineffective. While the visit was "necessary" due to the
increasing plight of Indian international students in
Melbourne, Lenders said it has failed to diminish strong
negative press in India. The Victorian government has
responded to the attacks by increasing police numbers on the
streets, stiffening penalties for violent assaults and
cracking down on scam vocational schools. Lenders noted that
despite these measures, bad press continues and Australia
will likely have to wait it out.
Look East
--------------
5. (SBU) Anita Nayar, India's Consul General to Melbourne,
described her country's relations with Australia as
historically "on and off again" during an October 8 speech
entitled "Rescuing our Relations with India." According to
Nayar, relations between the two countries have never been
consistent and hit a low point in the 1990s when Australia
withdrew its High Commissioner and imposed stiff sanctions on
India following Delhi's successful test of a nuclear warhead.
Since then, Australia has remained on the periphery of
Indian foreign relations. The last Indian Prime Minster to
visit Australia was Rajiv Gandhi in 1984. (Comment: Former
Prime Minister Bob Hawke and Rajiv Gandhi maintained a close
personal friendship. End comment.) More recently,
Australia's continuing refusal to sell India uranium remains
an irritant.
6. (SBU) According to Nayar, India's Look East policy has led
to a recent recognition of Australia's leadership role in
MELBOURNE 00000114 002 OF 002
Asia. India opened a consulate in Melbourne just two years
ago and is examining opening consulates in Perth and
Brisbane. Australia is now the second most popular
destination for Indian students and exports are growing
between the two countries. Despite all this, Nayar said
relations between India and Australia continue to lack a
strategic vision and the necessary political capital to move
relations to the next level.
Comment
--------------
7. (C/NF) Prime Minister Singh has described India and
Australia as "two countries with so much in common, but so
little to do with one another." This trend is changing
whether the two countries like it or not. India is dependent
on Australian coking coal and Indian international students
are becoming increasingly important to the Australian
economy. India and Australia have both expressed a desire to
engage more closely, but it is still early days for renewed
relations between the two nations.
THURSTON
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV IN AS
SUBJECT: AUSTRALIAN BANDAID DIPLOMACY IN INDIA
REF: A. MELBOURNE 89
B. MELBOURNE 65
Classified By: Justin Kolbeck, Pol/Econ Officer for reason 1.4 b
Summary
--------------
1. (C/NF) Three high level visits to India by Australian
officials have had only a limited impact on cooling tempers
still hot from a spike in violence against Indian students in
Melbourne. Despite recent troubles and a historically
inconsistent relationship, both India and Australia are
making noises about deepening their engagement with one
another. End Summary.
Three Tickets to India, Please
--------------
2. (U) Responding to an uptick in violence against a number
of Australia's approximately 70,000 Indian students (ref. B),
Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Victoria Premier John
Brumby visited India separately in August and September.
During a five day visit in late August/early September,
Gillard, who is also Australia's Education Minister, met with
several Indian officials including Indian PM Singh with whom
she reaffirmed in general terms Australia's commitment to
forge closer ties with India. She also met with Kapil Sibal,
India's Minister for Human Resources Development and
committed to an annual ministerial dialogue to address common
education concerns. Brumby conducted a similar visit in late
September, meeting with the Indian Minister for Overseas
Indian Affairs, Minister Sibal and others. Foreign Minister
Stephen Smith also visited India in early October.
3. (C/NF) Former Australian Consul General to Mumbai, Shabbir
Wahid told us on October 7 that Gillard's visit was a "wasted
opportunity." According to Wahid, Gillard focused too
narrowly on her Education Minister portfolio, coming away
from her meeting with PM Singh with only vague commitments to
closer bilateral collaboration and a proposal to establish an
Australian university in India. Wahid went on to say that
Australian-Indian relations have too long revolved around the
"three shared C's:" curry, cricket and Commonwealth;
Australia is missing significant commercial opportunities in
India due to its failure to engage more broadly with India.
4. (C/NF) Victoria's Treasurer John Lenders told Consul
General on October 8 that Brumby's trip was similarly
ineffective. While the visit was "necessary" due to the
increasing plight of Indian international students in
Melbourne, Lenders said it has failed to diminish strong
negative press in India. The Victorian government has
responded to the attacks by increasing police numbers on the
streets, stiffening penalties for violent assaults and
cracking down on scam vocational schools. Lenders noted that
despite these measures, bad press continues and Australia
will likely have to wait it out.
Look East
--------------
5. (SBU) Anita Nayar, India's Consul General to Melbourne,
described her country's relations with Australia as
historically "on and off again" during an October 8 speech
entitled "Rescuing our Relations with India." According to
Nayar, relations between the two countries have never been
consistent and hit a low point in the 1990s when Australia
withdrew its High Commissioner and imposed stiff sanctions on
India following Delhi's successful test of a nuclear warhead.
Since then, Australia has remained on the periphery of
Indian foreign relations. The last Indian Prime Minster to
visit Australia was Rajiv Gandhi in 1984. (Comment: Former
Prime Minister Bob Hawke and Rajiv Gandhi maintained a close
personal friendship. End comment.) More recently,
Australia's continuing refusal to sell India uranium remains
an irritant.
6. (SBU) According to Nayar, India's Look East policy has led
to a recent recognition of Australia's leadership role in
MELBOURNE 00000114 002 OF 002
Asia. India opened a consulate in Melbourne just two years
ago and is examining opening consulates in Perth and
Brisbane. Australia is now the second most popular
destination for Indian students and exports are growing
between the two countries. Despite all this, Nayar said
relations between India and Australia continue to lack a
strategic vision and the necessary political capital to move
relations to the next level.
Comment
--------------
7. (C/NF) Prime Minister Singh has described India and
Australia as "two countries with so much in common, but so
little to do with one another." This trend is changing
whether the two countries like it or not. India is dependent
on Australian coking coal and Indian international students
are becoming increasingly important to the Australian
economy. India and Australia have both expressed a desire to
engage more closely, but it is still early days for renewed
relations between the two nations.
THURSTON