Australian resources minister to visit India next week

Australian minister Matthew Canavan will visit India next week to bolster bilateral ties in the resources sector, the Australian High Commission said on Friday.

The minister for resources will travel to Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai from next Monday to Thursday. Canavan will meet his ministerial counterparts and resource industry leaders during his visit, the high commission said in a statement.

In Delhi, Canavan will meet Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal; Mines and Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi; and Steel, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. They will discuss the strengths and potential of Australia's resources sector and explore emerging opportunities to support India's need for minerals critical to its economic, defence and space capabilities, it said.

Canavan will call on West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra in Kolkata and meet with business leaders in Mumbai.

India is Australia's fourth-largest export market and a key destination for Australian coal and copper, the statement added.

Welcoming the visit, Australia's High Commissioner to India, Harinder Sidhu, said the country was a natural partner for India in the resources sector.

"The resources and METS (Mining Equipment, Technology and Services) sectors are a priority under the India Economic Strategy," Sidhu said. "Australia's comparative advantage in these sectors and the opportunities that India's growth trajectory presents are highly complementary."