The UK Prime Minister Mr. Gordon Brown and the Australian Prime Minister Mr. Kevin Rudd called the Prime Minister today to congratulate him on being sworn in to a second term in office. Prime Minister Brown said that he was looking forward to meeting the Prime Minister soon to discuss strengthening of the Indo-UK partnership and issues of global interest, such as the world economy and climate change. He reiterated an invitation to the Prime Minister to visit the United Kingdom at an early date.

In his conversation with Prime Minister Rudd, the Prime Minister hoped that Prime Minister Rudd would be able to make an early visit to India on mutually convenient dates. The Prime Minister raised the issue of attacks on Indian students in Australia. Prime Minister Rudd said that the overwhelming majority of Indian students were safe and that he took the issue of the security of all foreign students in Australia very seriously. He said that he was appalled by the attacks and that the concerned authorities would work to bring the perpetrators to justice.