Auckland, July 11: New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced on Saturday that India and New Zealand have agreed to elevate their relations to a strategic partnership. This initiative aims to deepen bilateral cooperation and provide a robust framework for increased engagement in the coming years.
He described Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit as a significant milestone in the relationship between the two countries, marking the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to New Zealand in 40 years.
During delegation-level talks with PM Modi in Auckland, Luxon stated, “This is truly a historic event, as we discussed last night. It’s the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to New Zealand in 40 years. This visit represents a crucial milestone in New Zealand-India relations. When I visited India last year, you and your delegation welcomed me with great warmth and generosity. Therefore, I am very pleased to welcome you here.”
Expressing gratitude for PM Modi’s personal commitment to advancing bilateral ties, Luxon noted that discussions would extend beyond a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to focus on enhancing the overall partnership between the two nations.
He added, “Thank you for this relationship and for everything you have done. I believe we have made tremendous progress on the trade agenda in a short time. However, today’s focus is much broader than just the FTA. It’s about where we go from here and how we can expand this relationship. I am proud to announce that we are moving towards becoming strategic partners, which will provide more framework and depth to our relationship as we move forward.”
Furthermore, PM Luxon mentioned on the social media platform X that despite being located at opposite ends of the Indo-Pacific, geographical distance has not hindered the enhancement of economic ties through the FTA.
Luxon remarked, “New Zealand and India are situated in the Indo-Pacific, but distance is no barrier to our collaborative efforts to boost our economies. We are achieving this through our FTA, which will eliminate 57% of tariffs on everything we sell to India from day one.”
Following the discussions in Auckland, both leaders also addressed several essential Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) to enhance cooperation across various sectors. PM Modi arrived in New Zealand on Friday as part of his three-nation tour.
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