Visiting Australian Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Tuesday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and briefed him about the steps being taken by her government to address the concerns of international students, including Indians.

Sources said the two leaders also discussed various aspects of the India-Australia bilateral relations. This also sets the stage for the visit by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in November this year.

Gillard, who is also the Education Minister in the Australian government, has assured the Indian leadership about the Australian government's actions in the wake of the violence against Indian students. She also met Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

Since she landed, Gillard has been seeking to assuage India's concerns over the series of attacks on Indian students in that country. At a reception in New Delhi on Monday evening, she said, “What happens to our young people, far from home, away from their parent’s care, rightly arouses strong passions for all of us. And it’s understandable that these can lead to loud demands for action. We certainly understand that. Let me tell you, as a friend of Indian Australians and as the person responsible for welcoming young Indian students to Australia, I feel this anger too.” “And I am absolutely determined to ensure that everything is done to ensure that Indian students are welcomed and safe.”

On providing quality education, she said, “Most overseas education providers in Australia are doing the right thing, but a small number of unscrupulous operators have entered the industry, providing education of insufficient quality. The Australian Government is coming down hard on these fraudulent education providers.”

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