Australian Consul General and Coimbatore MP explore ways to strengthen ties

Coimbatore MP Rajkumar and Australian Consul General in Chennai discussed various issues and ways to strengthen ties between Coimbatore and Australia

The Australian Consul General in Chennai Silai Zaki met the Coimbatore MP Ganapathi P. Rajkumar here on Wednesday and discussed about strengthening the cooperation between Australia and Coimbatore.

“There is a lot of scope for building a good relationship between Coimbatore and Australia in multiple areas,” Mr. Rajkumar told The Hindu after the meeting.

The MP and the Consul General discussed for more than a couple of hours details about the plans for expansion of Coimbatore International Airport and the proposed cricket stadium. They also explored possibilities for better cooperation in the areas of healthcare, tourism, education and infrastructure between Coimbatore and the stakeholders in Australia.

Mr. Rajkumar wanted to look at pairing of universities in Coimbatore with those in Australia and launching skilling initiatives here through tie-ups with Australian agencies.

The meeting also covered areas related to sustainability and renewable energy and how Micro, Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (MSMEs) in Coimbatore can grow the sustainable way with support from Australia.