Imphal, May 08: To discuss sanctioning of fund under United Nations AIDS to fight HIV/AIDS in North Eastern States including Manipur and encourage more students from the region to study in Australia, the Australian High Commissioner would be coming to Imphal to meet the Chief Minister.

According to a reliable source, High Commissioner of Australian in India John McCarthy would be arriving at Imphal on May 15 on a two-day visit to discuss the matter.

Some of the issues likely to be featured during the meeting with the Australian High Commissioner John McCarthy and Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh are security and economic affairs of the North Eastern States in the light of the existing bilateral tie between India and Australia, funding by Australian on HIV/AIDS projects in the region including Manipur and encourage more students from the region to come to Australian for study.

From the point of view of inaugural of the office of the Australian Agency for International Development scheduled to be held on May 21 at Guwahati in connection with funding for HIV/AIDS projects in the North Eastern region, including Manipur, the proposed visit of the Australian High Commissioner to Imphal is very significant, the source noted.

The project would be taken up under UNAIDS in Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Manipur, the source disclosed.

The Australian High Commissioner is also expected to participate in the meeting of the North East Regional Forum slated to be held from May 16 to 18 at Aizwal apart from visiting different places of Meghalaya, Nagaland and Assam during his sojourn.

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