In October, the Indian Minister for Steel, Mr Baishya, visited Australia, and New Horizons has brought five Australian Ministers to India. Apart from myself, the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Education, Employment and Youth Affairs, the Minister for Telecommunications and the Arts, and the Minister for Resources and Energy are all visiting India as part of the New Horizons festival. Australian State Governments have also been working to strengthen trade and investment between our two countries. I particularly welcome the West Australian Government's recent initiative to open an office in Mumbai for trade and investment promotion. Western Australia and Maharashtra are now creating a productive rapport that reflects the growing sophistication in our bilateral relations more broadly.
Trade policy is, of course, a key component in promoting trade and investment.
For its part, the Australian Government stresses the need for bilateral initiatives to improve market share and access. This is supported by a commitment to regional trade liberalisation and the rules of the multilateral trading system. The Uruguay Round's success has demonstrated the advantages of free trade. The current high growth in world trade and the prosperity accompanying it would have been impossible without the security provided by multilateral trade disciplines. This is a task for the whole world and I would urge India to take a leading role.