Scindia, former Australian PM discuss trade, bilateral ties

New Delhi, April 26: Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday met former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, where the leaders held discussions on trade and strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries.

"It was a pleasure meeting Mr @HonTonyAbbott, former PM & current Australian PM's Special Representative. Had a fruitful discussion on issues of trade & strategic importance to further strengthen the bilateral relations, following the success of #IndAusECTA," tweeted Scindia. Notably, earlier this month, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met Tony Abbott, the Australian Prime Minister's Special Trade Envoy, in Melbourne during his three-day Australia visit. Also read | Elon Musk buys Twitter for $44 billion; users react with memes  Goyal had said Abbott had played a key role in realising the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA). ECTA is the first trade agreement of India with a developed country after more than a decade and provides for an institutional mechanism to improve trade between the two countries. Australia is the 17th largest trading partner of India and India is Australia's 9th largest trading partner. The ECTA is expected to almost double the bilateral trade from $27.5 bn (2021) to about $45 to $50 Billion in the next five years. The ECTA is expected to create new employment opportunities, raise living standards and enhance the overall welfare of the people of both countries. Additional employment generation is expected to be 10 lakhs within the next five years. Also read | Combination of three treatments can cut cancer risk among senior adults -PTC News