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The foreign ministers of India and Australia spoke over the telephone Monday to try to cool tensions over attacks on Indians in Australia, the foreign ministry in New Delhi said.
It said Australia's Stephen Smith telephoned his Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna and "conveyed his condolences on the tragic deaths of Indian citizens in Australia in recent attacks."
The ministry in a statement said Krishna conveyed "his deep concern" over the attacks, which included an attempt by a group of men to set fire to a 29-year-old Indian man in the Australian city of Melbourne on Saturday.
Krishna "emphasised to the Australian foreign minister that non-redressal of this vital issue will cast a shadow on otherwise excellent bilateral relations," it said.
Krishna also told Smith to ensure the Australian police investigated the incidents with a "sense of urgency."
The Australian foreign minister on his part assured that "his government attached the highest priority to ensure the continued well-being of Indian students," the statement added.
The spate of attacks, which included the fatal stabbing of a student this month in Melbourne, has prompted a strong reaction in the Indian press, with one newspaper likening Australian police to the racist Ku Klux Klan.
On Sunday, Australian High Commissioner (ambassador) Peter Varghese in New Delhi conceded the violence had soured bilateral ties and criticised the local media for blaming the incidents on alleged apathy of the Australian authorities.
India has urged its media to act responsibly but several government ministers have spoken out against the Australian authorities.
