All round growth for Australia-India ties in 2013

Australia-India ties witnessed all round development in 2013 with both sides inching forward on an early closure of a deal on uranium supplies and new fruitful partnerships emerging in trade and defence to revitalise their strategic ties.
With Australia electing a new government under the leadership of Prime Minister Tony Abbott, its relations with India remained a priority, a sign that the ties will deepen regardless of the party in power in Canberra.
Several significant developments took place this year in bilateral ties, including Abbott's first meeting with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Brunei in October.

During the meeting, Singh discussed a wide range of issues and favoured an early closure of nuclear cooperation deal and sale of uranium to India. Abbott assured him that he he wants to bring this deal to closure at an early date.
Australia holds about a third of the world's recoverable uranium resources, and exports nearly 7,000 tonnes a year.
Singh and Abbott also discussed issues like defence, security, joint naval exercise and student exchange programmes.

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid visited Canberra and attended a conference of the Indian Ocean Region.
During his visit, Khurshid said: "We have an unproblematic relationship with Australia", pointing out that Canberra was attracting a lot of Indian students which would bond the two sides together for generations.

India and Australia can also play a very major role together in the Indian Ocean, he said, underlining the importance effective diplomatic and maritime collaboration in the sea which lies between the two countries.
Defence Minister A K Antony made a historic visit to Australia in June, becoming the first ever Indian defence minister to tour Down Under.
Antony met his counterpart Stephen Smith and they agreed to continue ongoing bilateral Naval exchanges to build confidence and familiarity between the their Navies and work towards a bilateral maritime exercise in 2015.
The two sides also decided to bolster defence ties, as they acknowledged that maritime security and freedom of navigation is critical for the growth and prosperity of Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean regions, at a time when China's postures in the seas have caused concerns.

Most recent was Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop's visit to India last month.
During her visit, Bishop announced Australia's decision to support India's bid to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group, an exclusive global atomic-exports body that for decades has been shut for India due to its nuclear-weapons programme.