Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that bilateral trade between India and New Zealand has increased by more than 50 percent over the past three years, and expressed confidence that the recently signed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will serve as a foundation to double trade within the next five years. He made the remarks while addressing a Gala Lunch hosted by New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Auckland.
Modi welcomes NZ’s $20 billion investment commitment
PM Modi welcomed New Zealand’s commitment to invest USD 20 billion in India, stating that it will create new opportunities for New Zealand companies to become long-term partners in India’s growth story. “This year, we signed the Free Trade Agreement in record time. With this achievement, new doors will open for industries in both countries, farmers and youth. With trade, we are preparing the blueprint for trust, technology and talent,” he said.
Gratitude for warm hospitality
Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Luxon for the warm welcome, PM Modi noted that the affection shown by the people of New Zealand would remain etched in their memories. “The enthusiasm shown in the welcome has made today's cold in Auckland feel somewhat less severe. The love and sense of belongingness we have received from the people of New Zealand during this journey will always remain in our hearts,” he said.
New chapter in bilateral ties
PM Modi credited Luxon’s visit to India last year with giving fresh momentum to bilateral relations and described his own visit as the beginning of a new chapter. “Prime Minister Luxon's visit to India last year brought new energy to every sector of our cooperation. His leadership, clear vision, and strong commitment have provided a new pace and direction to the friendship between India and New Zealand. Today, after 40 years, an Indian Prime Minister is visiting New Zealand. This is the beginning of a new chapter in our relations,” he said.
Elevation to Strategic Partnership
Highlighting the elevation of bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership, PM Modi said the two democracies had decided to pursue practical cooperation with clear goals and measurable outcomes. “The firm belief of India and New Zealand in democratic values provides us with a natural comfort for moving forward together. In the past few years, we have given unprecedented momentum to our relations. In today's meeting, we have taken the historic decision to elevate our cooperation to the level of a Strategic Partnership. Under this, we will move ahead with clear goals and solid results in every field,” he said.
Priority areas: UPI, agriculture, dairy
The Prime Minister outlined priority areas under the Strategic Partnership, including digital payments and agriculture. “To make our Strategic Partnership meaningful, we are turning the strengths of both countries into practical cooperation. In the field of Fintech, we are moving ahead with connecting India's UPI and New Zealand's payment system. In agriculture, dairy, and food processing, we have developed a strong framework for cooperation, which will benefit our farmers and cattle rearers,” PM Modi said.
Roadmap to 2030
India and New Zealand elevated their bilateral relationship to a “Strategic Partnership” and adopted the “India-New Zealand Strategic Partnership: Roadmap to 2030,” setting out an ambitious framework to deepen cooperation across trade, agriculture, security, innovation, and people-to-people ties over the next four years. According to the joint statement, the two prime ministers “decided to elevate the bilateral relationship to a 'Strategic Partnership'” and endorsed the roadmap as “a framework to guide joint action over the next four years.” The statement added that the leaders “agreed to an ambitious long-term vision for the Strategic Partnership, which aims to take bilateral relations to a new level, strengthen existing cooperation mechanisms and explore new avenues for deepening cooperation, both bilaterally and multilaterally.”
Prime Minister Modi is on an official visit to New Zealand on July 10-11 at the invitation of Prime Minister Luxon. The visit is the first by an Indian Prime Minister to New Zealand in 40 years.
