Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Saturday that India and New Zealand have established a Joint Working Group (JWG) on counter-terrorism, vowing to fight terrorism "shoulder to shoulder." The announcement came during a gala lunch hosted by New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Auckland, marking the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to New Zealand in 40 years.
Strengthening Security Cooperation
Addressing the gathering, PM Modi said, "Friends, on the global stage as well, India and New Zealand are reliable partners and close friends. We believe that to face the challenges of the current times, reform is necessary in global institutions, including the UN. To move forward shoulder to shoulder on the issue of terrorism, we have formed a Joint Working Group today. Cooperation between India and New Zealand is extremely important for peace, stability, and security in the Indo-Pacific."
The India-New Zealand Joint Statement reaffirmed both countries' commitment to "a free, open, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, where sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected, and the rules-based international order is upheld." The leaders also reaffirmed "freedom of navigation and overflight" in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and stressed the importance of the peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue and international law.
UN Reforms and Multilateral Cooperation
On multilateral cooperation, the Joint Statement emphasized the need for "bold and effective UN reform" and affirmed support for the expansion of the UN Security Council in both permanent and non-permanent categories. New Zealand also reaffirmed its support for India's permanent membership of a reformed and expanded UN Security Council.
Condemnation of Terrorism
The two Prime Ministers reiterated their "absolute condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism," while strongly condemning the terrorist attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025, and the terror incident near Red Fort in New Delhi on November 10, 2025. Calling for a "zero-tolerance and consistent approach to terrorism," the leaders stressed the need to dismantle terror infrastructure, disrupt terrorism financing networks and safe havens, and bring perpetrators to justice swiftly.
Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism
The Joint Statement welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Arrangement establishing a Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism, which will provide a framework for information and knowledge sharing between the two countries. The leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in multilateral forums, including the United Nations and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and stressed the urgent need for all countries to take "immediate, sustained, concerted, and concrete action" against UN-proscribed terrorist organizations, their affiliates, proxies, sponsors, financiers and backers.
Broader Bilateral Ties
Beyond security, the Joint Statement underscored cooperation through ASEAN-led regional mechanisms, support for ASEAN centrality, resilient global supply chains, universal nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, and the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in addressing conflicts, including those in the Middle East and Ukraine. PM Modi's two-day official visit to New Zealand from July 10-11 saw the two countries elevate ties to a Strategic Partnership and adopt a Roadmap to 2030 for enhanced cooperation across trade, defence, technology, security and regional affairs.
