During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official visit to New Zealand, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is not an immigration agreement, emphasizing that visas are a sovereign decision of each country.
MEA Differentiates Immigration from Skilled Manpower Mobility
Addressing a special media briefing in Auckland, Secretary (East) Rudrendra Tandon stated that immigration is often misunderstood in the context of FTAs. He distinguished between immigration and the mobility of skilled manpower, noting that commitments in the FTA pertain only to the latter under New Zealand's existing laws.
"So on the issue of immigration, there is a lot of misunderstanding. The FTA is not an agreement for immigration. Immigration and mobility of skilled manpower are two different issues altogether. The commitments that were crafted in the FTA pertain to mobility of skilled manpower under the existing laws that New Zealand has," Tandon said.
Visas Remain a Sovereign Decision
Tandon further explained that visa decisions are sovereign matters and cannot be commented upon by India. "On visas, the visa... this is actually a question you need to address to the New Zealand side. That's a sovereign decision. In the sense that as long as our businesses can work, our students get to study, they get the exchanges as planned by the two sides are taking place. Visa decision and conferring visas is a sovereign decision that we can't really comment upon at this juncture. We have to go by that sovereign decision," he added.
Strategic Partnership and Roadmap for Future Relations
Tandon also highlighted the outcomes of the bilateral discussions. "The discussions between the two Prime Ministers basically sought to move the relationship forward. One of the most significant decisions that were taken... is the decision by the two Prime Ministers to raise the relationship to a Strategic Partnership," he said.
He added that the leaders agreed to approach this goal systematically, with a roadmap for the next couple of years. This roadmap is summarized in a document released alongside the joint statement issued by the two Prime Ministers at the conclusion of their talks.
