Our Economic Bureau

New Delhi, June 11: External affairs and Defence minister Jaswant Singh is going on a five-day visit to Canberra, Australia from June 19 and would hold wide-ranging talks with the country’s leaders to boost economic and defence ties.

He would also visit New Zealand for three days from June 24 as part of the second leg of his tour, an external affairs ministry spokesperson told mediaperson here on Monday.

Mr Singh, who is going to Australia at the invitation of foreign minister Alexander Downer, is expected to hold talks on key bilateral issues including a proposal by a consortium of companies for investment in power generation, petro-chemical and fertilizer projects in Orissa.

Relations between New Delhi and Canberra had soured after the nuclear tests, with Australia recalling its defence attache and snapping all defence ties.