Narendra Modi and Christopher Luxon raised India-New Zealand ties to a strategic partnership and unveiled 18 outcomes. The decisions sharpen trade ambitions and deepen Indo-Pacific coordination amid wider regional tensions.
India and New Zealand on Saturday elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership and set a five-year target to double annual bilateral trade in goods and services to Rs 35,000 crore by 2030 after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon.
The meeting produced 18 concrete outcomes, including 10 agreements. Among the key decisions were a roadmap to expand ties over the next four years, a framework to enhance Indo-Pacific maritime cooperation, and a reciprocal logistics support pact between the Indian Navy and the New Zealand Defence Force.
According to a joint statement, Modi and Luxon exchanged views on the Indo-Pacific and reaffirmed their shared commitment to a free, open and prosperous region. They also stressed the importance of protecting sovereignty, territorial integrity and the rules-based international order. The statement said the two leaders called for freedom of navigation and overflight, and other lawful uses of the seas, in line with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
In line with this focus, the two sides agreed to set up a maritime security dialogue to strengthen cooperation, coordination and information exchange. Modi, who arrived in Auckland on Friday night in the third and final leg of his three-nation tour, said stronger cooperation between India and New Zealand, both maritime nations, would add new strength to the Indo-Pacific. “As two maritime nations, our close cooperation, lends new strength to the Indo-Pacific, and our ties can infuse fresh energy into achieving our shared goals of peace,” the prime minister said in Hindi.
The visit came after the recent signing of the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement. The two prime ministers agreed to work towards the goal of doubling bilateral two-way trade in goods and services to 7 billion New Zealand dollars, or about Rs 35,000 crore, by 2030. They also resolved to work together for the early entry into force of the FTA.
On the West Asia conflict, Modi and Luxon expressed concern over the renewed escalation of tensions and called on all parties to exercise restraint, de-escalate and ensure the protection of civilians, the joint statement said. “They called for full restoration of freedom of navigation and the global flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz, while opposing any constraints on shipping,” it said. The two leaders also reiterated the importance of dialogue, diplomacy and adherence to international law for a peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict, and backed “bold and effective” reform of the United Nations, including expansion of the Security Council. Overall, the talks centred on expanding bilateral ties, strengthening Indo-Pacific cooperation and pushing trade and strategic engagement to a higher level.
With PTI Inputs
