Australian Visa : As per the commitment made in the India-Australia Interim Free Trade Agreement, Australia will start giving 1,000 working and holiday visas to Indian citizens every year from October 1. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, who recently visited Australia, said on Thursday that this move will facilitate movement and increase contact between the people of the two countries.

Goyal said in a post on the social media platform 'X' on Thursday that on his visit to Australia, he was happy to know that the commitment to grant working and holiday visas included in the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement will come into effect from October 1, 2024. This will facilitate movement and increase people-to-people contact. The Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) between India and Australia came into force in December 2022.

Under this agreement, Indian citizens aged 18-30 years can apply for a one-year visa to work, study and travel in Australia. Australia will give up to 1,000 'multiple entry' working and holiday visas annually to Indian citizens who meet the eligibility conditions under its law. Both the countries are now negotiating to convert this agreement into a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a statement that Goyal's visit allowed both sides to review progress towards CECA and the implementation of initiatives related to ECTA. Interaction with Australian and Indian companies will also enhance trade and investment relations between the two countries.

Meanwhile, the ministry said in a separate statement that the sixth session of the India-Egypt Joint Trade Committee (JTC) was held in New Delhi on September 16-17, 2024. During this, the two countries identified several sectors to enhance bilateral cooperation in trade and investment, including the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCEZ), pharmaceutical, gems, and jewelry, engineering, petroleum, and mining, and electronics manufacturing.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) and the MSME Development Agency of Egypt (MSMEDA) has been approved.