'India, Australia should make joint investments in coal'

India and Australia should look at the possibilities for joint investments in developing coal assets, Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma said today.
Leading a high-level delegation to Australia and New Zealand to strengthen ties in the areas such as mining and coal supply, Verma met Minister of Natural Resources & Mines, Queensland, Andrew Cripps.
"During his meeting with Cripps, Verma expressed his belief that India and Government of Queensland, Australia, can jointly explore possibilities of investment in development of coal assets," an official statement said here.
A mineral rich state in Australia, Queensland is a major supplier of coking coal to the Indian steel industry.

Verma said India's steel and mining companies could collaborate with Australian firms for developing technologies to carry out sustainable mining, the statement said.
He also met Deputy Premier, Queensland, Jeff Seeney at Brisbane and asked him to explore possibilities of a long term agreement between the two nations for export of coking coal.
He further talked about various other measures for strengthening bilateral ties in the field of mining and enhancement of supply of coal to India in the coming years, the statement added.
The delegation comprises Chairman, SAIL, NMDC and ICVL, C S Verma; Joint Secretary, Ministry of Steel, S Abbasi; CMD, MOIL G P Kundergi and CEO, ICVL, Ajay Mathur.