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The nation's leaders will use a meeting in Darwin on Thursday to discuss the safety of foreign students in Australia.
The discussions will aim to send a message, to India especially, that Australia is generally a very safe place which welcomes students from other countries, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith says.
Indian students have been subject to a spate of attacks in Melbourne and Sydney in recent months.
Mr Smith admits some of the attacks have been racially motivated.
'Some indications suggest that some may have been,' he told Sky News on Wednesday.
'Other indications suggest not.'
Thursday's Council of Australian Governments meeting would underline national concern about the attacks, Mr Smith said.
Earlier, opposition immigration spokeswoman Sharman Stone said the federal government had a responsibility to know how many international students die in Australia each year, and the cause of death.
Her call comes after Fairfax newspapers reported on Wednesday that coroners have suppressed details of overseas student deaths.
State and territory coroners refused to release data on the deaths of international students in the 12 months to November 2008, saying the information was not exhaustive and could be inaccurate.
Dr Stone says the immigration department should have 'at its fingertips' how many students have died in Australia and why.
'If we don't have that data we can't better work with our international student populations to give them the very best experience of Australia and protect them from harm while they're here,' she told ABC Radio.
International education expert Professor Chris Nyland told Fairfax a desire to protect the $15.5 billion higher education export market was behind attempts to hide the plight of students and the corresponding death toll.
A recent series of attacks on Indian students has raised concern about the safety of Australia as a study destination.
