From correspondents in Delhi, India, 06:31 PM IST

India and Australia Wednesday signed a partnership agreement for working together on environmental sustainability issues.

The agreement, which was signed in the presence of Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal, is between Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and India's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), which is said to be the world's largest publicly funded civilian laboratory.

Australia is funding it under Australia-India strategic research fund. The fund has been allocated $20 million over a five-year period.

CSIRO, which is Australia's national science agency, is also contributing to projects established under the agreement and will fund its involvement separately.

The two countries are already working together on three projects.

Australia's High Commissioner to India John McCarthy said there was a great potential to extend this partnership even further into the future.

CSIR Director General Samir K. Brahmachari, who is also secretary of the department of scientific and industrial research, said the agreement provides a valuable framework for enhancing collaborative research between the two organisations.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)