Proposed FTA Called a Historic Achievement
New Zealand Member of Parliament Parmjeet Kaur Parmar on Thursday described the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between New Zealand and India as a "historic achievement," asserting that it would generate significant economic benefits for businesses, producers, and consumers in both countries. Speaking with ANI ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit, Parmar dismissed domestic skepticism about the trade pact, drawing parallels to the initial resistance faced during New Zealand's landmark trade deal with China.
"It is definitely a historic achievement, which I personally am very proud of," Parmar said. "Yes, there will be some people who will be against it, but this is nothing new. In our previous free trade agreements, like when we had our free trade agreement with China, there were some people against that too."
Business Interests and Mutual Gains
The lawmaker emphasized that the interests of commercial enterprises remain the government's top priority, asserting that the trade pact is a clear win-win for both economies. "For us, the interest of our businesses is really important because everybody is only going to gain from this free trade agreement. Consumers are going to benefit, producers are going to benefit, and that is only going to be a good thing for New Zealand and for India," Parmar added.
The upcoming visit by Prime Minister Modi is seen as a critical catalyst to accelerate bilateral trade negotiations currently moving through New Zealand's parliamentary process. "At the moment, it's going through our parliamentary process here. But PM Modi's visit is definitely adding that momentum we needed," the MP noted.
Cultural Ties and Diaspora Enthusiasm
Highlighting the deep cultural ties underpinning the diplomatic push, Parmar—who made history in 2014 as the first Indian-born Member of Parliament in New Zealand—pointed out that the vibrant Indian diaspora is highly enthusiastic about the Indian Prime Minister's arrival. "The Indian diaspora here is really excited about Prime Minister Modi's visit. We know that our relationship is built on democratic values and people-to-people connections," Parmar said.
"As someone who is of Indian origin, who was born in India, and now lives here in New Zealand, I see that there is enormous potential for our relationship to be taken to the next level so that people on both sides can benefit from this," she added.
Strategic Push for Comprehensive Partnership
The statement underscores a concerted effort by New Zealand lawmakers to expand their strategic footprint in South Asia, leveraging diaspora connections and democratic alignments to secure a robust, comprehensive economic partnership with New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on an official visit to New Zealand on Friday at the invitation of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, a visit that follows a newly finalized Free Trade Agreement designed to reinvigorate bilateral commercial ties amid recent moderation in merchandise trade.
