FM Bishop inaugurates Australian Consulate in Chennai

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who is in India on a four-day visit, inaugurated the new Australian Consulate here on Wednesday.

"I am in Chennai to make an announcement of further collaboration between the Australian government and Australian people and the India's Vision Institute. In 2014, a new Vision Screening project was established and the Australian government supported this screening project which enabled children aged between 4-15 from disadvantage backgrounds across about 15 schools in Chennai and Tamil Nadu," Bishop told media persons.

"They were able to have visual screening eye tests, any problems were diagnosed and under this project free classes and spectacles were provided to students to correct any problems," she added.

Bishop further said the Australian Government is keen to deepen its relationship with southern India.

Bishop had earlier attended the 10th India-Australia Foreign Ministers Framework Dialogue and also met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Trade between Australia and India stands at around 15 billion dollars a year, or just a tenth of that between Australia and China.

Australia and India pushed for a free trade pact during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Canberra in September last year.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott also sealed a civil nuclear deal to sell uranium to India and offered to increase supplies of conventional fuel to help it overcome chronic shortages.

Bishop will leave the country on Thursday morning.