India and Australia on Saturday decided to expedite negotiations for a civil nuclear deal to finalise it soon. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held bilateral talks with her Australian counterpart Julie Bishop during which both the leaders stressed that the civil nuclear deal should be finalised as early as possible. The proposed visit by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott to India before the G20 summit meeting in November in Australia also figured in the talks held on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting in Nay Pyi Taw . External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said, they felt that the nuclear deal should be completed at the earliest. It is in the interest of both the countries.
Both also deliberated on issues relating to immigration and Julie Bishop assured Swaraj that Indians will not face any difficulty in that country. The Indian side also raised the issue of reported seizing of a boat by Australian authorities which had Indian nationals along with people from Sri Lanka.