India asks Australia to ensure security of its nationals

In the wake of attacks on its students, a concerned India today asked Australia to ensure safety of its nationals there and got an assurance that such incidents will not be allowed to recur.
The Ministry of External Affairs also summoned Australian High Commissioner John McCarthy to register its concern over a series of attacks on Indian students in that country.

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna conveyed India's concerns to Australia when he received a phone call from his counterpart Stephen Smith who assured him that his government is taking steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

During the 10-minute conversation, Krishna asked Smith to see that security of Indian nationals in that country is ensured. He also pressed for strong action against those involved in the attacks on Indian students over the last few days.

Later, Krishna said he had told Smith to ensure that "the security of Indian students is adequately taken care of".

Smith "assured that no such incident will take place", the External Affairs Minister said.

"We are worried about the safety of Indian citizens, particularly the students," Krishna told reporters.

He said the Indian government is in constant touch with Australian authorities "with a view to addressing issues concerning the well-being and physical safety of our students." PTI