PM Modi's visit takes India-New Zealand bilateral ties into new phase
New Delhi, July 30
India's relationship with New Zealand has entered a new phase following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit, the first to the country by an Indian Premier in two decades, according to an article published by NZIIA.
The article highlights that during the two-day visit, PM Modi and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon upgraded the ties between the two countries to a full Strategic Partnership, backed by a four-year "Roadmap to 2030" spanning defence, trade, maritime security, agriculture, tourism, sports, culture and science.
India has gained importance in New Zealand's long-term strategy as the country us among the fastest-growing major economies and is projected to become the world's third-largest economy by 2030, with GDP estimated at around $7 trillion (NZ$12 trillion). India's middle class is expected to exceed 700 million people, creating one of the largest consumer markets on Earth, the article states.
During the Auckland visit, Modi and New Zealand counterpart Luxon set a formal target to double bilateral trade to NZ$7 billion (about $4.2 billion) by 2030.
The article highlights that PM Modi's visit produced 18 outcomes, including 10 agreements and memorandums of understanding, that go well beyond trade. The centre piece, the 'Roadmap to 2030', sets a four-year framework for cooperation across defence, trade, maritime security, tourism, agriculture, sports, scientific research, people-to-people exchanges and multilateral engagement.
Defence and maritime security dominated the agenda. India and New Zealand concluded a Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement enabling the Indian Navy and the New Zealand Defence Force to access each other's facilities for refuelling, replenishment and maintenance during deployments.
The two countries also signed a Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Cooperation to strengthen dialogue, operational coordination and information-sharing across the Indo-Pacific.
They agreed to establish a Maritime Security Dialogue, and New Zealand will lead the maritime-security pillar of India's Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, focusing on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. A new Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism will deepen intelligence-sharing and coordination, the article observes.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The 'Roadmap to 2030' sounds promising, but I'm a bit skeptical. We've seen many such ambitious agreements in the past that didn't translate into much. The target of doubling trade to NZ$7 billion is modest actually, given India's massive market. Hope there's more substance than just MoUs.
As an Indian living in Auckland, this visit was huge for the diaspora here! The community turned out in full force to welcome PM Modi. The focus on maritime security and counter-terrorism cooperation is timely given China's growing influence in the Pacific. Proud moment for all Indians! 🇮🇳🇳🇿
Good diplomatic move, but let's not forget the real issues - Indian students in New Zealand face visa delays and some have reported racism. People-to-people exchanges should address these ground realities. The dairy and agri cooperation is welcome though, we can learn from Kiwi expertise.
Finally a PM visits NZ after 20 years! The Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement is a game-changer for our Navy's reach in the South Pacific. And getting New Zealand to lead the maritime security pillar of Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative is smart diplomacy. This is how you build influence without megaphone diplomacy. 👏
As a Kiwi looking at India, this partnership makes a lot of sense. India's economic growth is staggering - 700 million middle class by 2030! NZ needs to diversify trade beyond China, and India offers that opportunity. The dairy and tourism potential is huge. Good on both sides for getting this done.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.