Turnbull Calls for Better Trade Ties With India on New Delhi Visit

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull touted Australia’s “pragmatic” approach to “affordable energy” in his visit to India on Monday, April 10.Turnbull praised India for sharing a “pragmatic” approach to energy production and innovation, in a speech addressing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “We’re pleased to be providing increasing quantities of coal for steel-making and increasingly for power generation, with advance super-critical technology,” Turnbull said.Energy was a strong focus of Turnbull’s speech, in a visit that sought to put in motion a possible free-trade agreement with India, the ABC reported.The Prime Minister congratulated Modi on the creation of the International Solar Alliance, adding he was “very happy to announce that we will join that alliance.”“Our trading agreement is delivering significant benefits to our respective nations,” Turnbull said. “Last year, two-way trade and good and services was nearly $20 billion – more than double what it was a decade ago. But given the complementarity of our two economies, this is a fraction of the level it could and should be.”