Cairns (Australia), Aug 7 (IANS) In a damage control exercise, Australia is planning three high-profile visits, including by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, to India over the next few months and said it is taking all steps to ensure the safety of Indian students.
“Three high-profile visits by Australian leaders are being planned that include Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Foreign Minister Stephen Smith,” India’s External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said here.

“We are looking forward to these three high-profile meetings that will be held in India,” Krishna, who is on a five-day visit to Australia and held talks with Rudd for 20 minutes, said.

Gillard, also education minister, may come to India as soon as August-end, sources said. Rudd is expected in New Delhi November, sources said.

Rudd had to defer two planned trips to India, once due to Indian elections and then because Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was recovering from a bypass surgery early this year.

“We do have currently scheduled plans to visit India later in the year, I can’t give you precise dates,” Rudd was quoted as saying by The Australian Friday.

“I look forward to visiting India.”

“It’s an important relationship for Australia and like most of our relationships around the world has some bumps in the road from time to time… but we can work our way through them,” Rudd said.

Krishna is in Cairns to participate in the Annual Post Forum Dialogue Meeting of the 16-nation Pacific Island Forum (PIF), at which India is a dialogue partner. The forum focussed on issues like climate change and the situation in Fiji.

Rudd assured Krishna during their meeting that the Australian government was taking all steps to ensure the safety and security of Indian students in Australia.

“I am quite satisfied that Australian government and state government are very very clear so far what kind of relations they want with India and they want very positive and cordial relationship,” Krishna said.

“I am satisfied with the assurances give to me by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

“Prime Minister Rudd is fully aware of the sensitivity of the issues concerning students. He informed about the remedial measures already taken by the government,” Krishna said.

“Rudd described India as an emerging power and I am convinced that Indian students coming here will be safe and taken care of,” Krishna said.

Krishna met New South Wales Premier Nathan Rees Thursday in Sydney. Rees had also assured Krishna that “firm action” would be taken against those responsible for attacks on Indian students.

At least 22 Indian students have been the victim of allegedly racist attacks, creating an outrage in India and the diaspora community Down Under.

To strengthen relations with India, the Rudd government has given more than $8 million to fund a new Australia India Institute at the University of Melbourne.

Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard, the education minister, said the centre would “aim to strengthen and sustain bilateral relationships”.

“As the world’s largest democracy and a key emerging economy, India is redefining its role in international affairs and its influence in our region and globally is growing,” she was quoted as saying.