India’s new Consulate in the Australian city of Brisbane was inaugurated by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who said developments such as trade agreements in recent years have transformed relations between the two countries, opening up many opportunities. Jaishankar said the opening of the new Consulate is a milestone in the rapidly strengthening bilateral ties and an acknowledgment of the growing importance of the Australian state of Queensland, which “holds a key place in our growing relationship in many ways.”
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Queensland is home to approximately 100,000 of the approximately one million people of Indian origin living in Australia, and India is the state’s second largest export market. Apart from Brisbane, India has consulates-general in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. The Consulate General in Brisbane will be headed by Consul General Neetu Bhagotia, a career diplomat who has served in Indian missions in Bhutan and Russia. He has also worked in the policy planning divisions of Western Europe, Central Europe and the Ministry of External Affairs. Jaishankar said the majority of India-Australia trade is driven from Queensland, where the Indian diaspora is strong and growing. The Consulate team will serve the growing Indian diaspora and students and promote ties in economy, education and research, he said.
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He said that with the new Consulate, I would also like to convey to the Indian community and people of Indian origin living in Australia that your consular needs will be addressed in a timely manner and with greater convenience. Jaishankar said he was making his fifth visit to Australia in three years and said it reflected our cooperation.
