Sydney, Sep 3 (IANS) India seems to be the flavour of the month in Australia with both Prime Minister John Howard and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer stressing the importance of closer trade ties with India, a major export destination.
Speaking at the Australia-India Business Council here recently, John Howard said India was high on his government's priority list, the Indian Post reported.
Howard stressed that his government wants closer trade relations with India, which has become the sixth largest export destination for Australian products.
He added that the two countries had become much closer economically in the past six years.
Meanwhile, Alexander Downer told a meeting of the Australia-India Business Council in Adelaide that the countries should work together in the Asia Pacific region to counter the growing influence of China.
"We need a region that is well balanced" without one power that could "dominate the region", said Downer.