New Delhi, Aug 23 (IANS): Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani Saturday appreciated the interest taken by South Australia in a long-term partnership with India and said that both countries could collaborate in various fields.

She conveyed this to South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill, who called on her Friday, and said that South Australia was keen to collaborate with India in the field of education and vocational training.

Appreciating the keen interest taken by South Australia in the fields of higher education and vocational training, aerospace and defence, renewable energy, water management and mineral resources, Irani said that the Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bhubaneswar could collaborate with the Australian institutions in the area of mining technology.

"Similarly, IIT, Kanpur, which has a department of aeronautical engineering could collaborate in the area of aerospace," she said.

She added that Indian institutions would also be interested in collaborating with Australian institutions in the area of water and sanitation as well as that of renewable energy.

Weatherill also expressed interest in the project of cleaning of the river Ganga undertaken by the Indian government and said that it was an "important project not only from the point of its environmental impact but also from its impact on the society".