NewzVille Desk
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has concluded his three-nation tour of Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand and departing for India after holding extensive talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
India and New Zealand elevated their bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership and signed several agreements and MoUs across key sectors. These include defence, tourism, sports, disaster management and dairy and animal husbandry sectors.
A major highlight of the visit was the community event at Auckland’s Spark Arena, attended by over ten thousand members of the Indian diaspora.
Addressing the gathering, Modi stated that the future of India and New Zealand is intertwined and the bilateral trade agreement will accelerate India’s journey towards a developed nation.
On the occasion, Prime Minister Luxon described India as a trusted friend, praised the contribution of the Indian community to New Zealand’s progress, and appreciated Prime Minister Modi’s leadership.
Prime Minister Modi thanked Prime Minister Luxon for his warm hospitality and said the visit had opened a new chapter in India-New Zealand relations. Referring to the 40-year gap since the last visit by an Indian Prime Minister, he said the next visit would not take so long.
Prime Minister Luxon personally saw off PM Modi at the airport in a special gesture following the conclusion of the visit.
PM Modi thanked PM Luxon, Government and the people of New Zealand for the exceptional warmth during this fruitful visit. Modi said our decision to elevate ties to a Strategic Partnership, the progress on trade and investment and the renewed momentum in defence, education, culture, sports and people-to-people exchanges reflect the growing depth of our friendship.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Prime Minister Modi’s three-country visit delivered significant outcomes advancing cooperation across several sectors, including trade, technology, security, education, innovation and people-to-people exchanges, among others.
He said PM Modi and his New Zealand counterpart reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations, with discussions covering trade and investment, defence and security, agri-tech, sports, education, tourism, culture and people-to-people exchanges.
MEA spokesperson said the two Prime Ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation across areas of mutual interest and stressed the importance of the early implementation of the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement.
The New Zealand leg marked the final stop of PM Modi’s three-nation tour, during which India expanded cooperation with Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand across a wide range of sectors, including trade, technology, security, innovation, education and people-to-people ties.
