Australia and India have agreed to "accelerate" negotiations on extradition and mutual legal assistance treaties in light of the Mohammed Haneef episode, Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer said on Friday.
Downer, who spoke to his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday night about the Haneef case, said he had a "good conversation" and the Indian government was well informed about the facts of the case.
Haneef, 27, has been charged with "recklessly" supporting a terrorist organisation by giving a phone SIM card to a relative who was later accused of being involved in plotting car bomb attacks in the UK.
"We did agree that what Australia should do is accelerate the negotiations that are currently underway on a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty and also an Extradition Treaty," Downer was quoted as saying by media in Melbourne.
"I think the sooner we can conclude those treaties then, in the future, the more easily we will be able to deal with Indian and Australian citizens who may be involved in allegations in relation to the law," he added.
Downer said he would not commit to a time-frame on when the treaties would be completed or signed.
