Giving a new height to their relations, India and New Zealand have officially given the status of ‘Strategic Partnership’ to the bilateral relations. Both countries have also approved ‘India-New Zealand Strategic Partnership: Roadmap 2030’. Under this, cooperation will be increased in many areas like trade, agriculture, security, innovation and people-to-people contacts in the next four years. This big decision was taken during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to New Zealand. The special thing is that this is the first official visit of an Indian Prime Minister to New Zealand after 40 years.

India-New Zealand relations get status of strategic partnership

According to a joint statement issued by India and New Zealand, both the Prime Ministers agreed to elevate bilateral relations to ‘Strategic Partnership’. Along with this, ‘India-New Zealand Strategic Partnership: Roadmap 2030’ was approved, which will become the basis of joint cooperation between the two countries in the next four years. Both leaders said that the objective of this partnership is to further strengthen existing cooperation, work together in new areas and increase cooperation in bilateral as well as multilateral fora.

Indian Prime Minister’s visit to New Zealand after 40 years

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on an official visit to New Zealand on July 10 and 11 at the invitation of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. This is the first official visit of an Indian Prime Minister to New Zealand in the last 40 years, which is being considered historic in the relations between the two countries.

Target to double trade by 2030

Under ‘Roadmap 2030’, India and New Zealand have set a target of increasing bilateral trade in goods and services between the two countries to 7 billion New Zealand dollars (about Rs 35 thousand crore) by the year 2030. For this, both the countries will work together on reducing trade barriers, increasing investment and strengthening economic cooperation.

Agreed on implementing free trade agreement soon

Both Prime Ministers welcomed the signing of the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and agreed to implement it soon. The joint statement said that this agreement will reduce trade barriers, strengthen economic partnership and will play an important role in increasing investment from New Zealand to India.

New Zealand will cooperate in ‘Developed India 2047’

New Zealand said that it will cooperate in achieving India’s ‘Developed India 2047’ goal. Under this, both the countries will work together in trade, agriculture, skill development, innovation, clean energy, sports and other areas.

Custom and trade process will be easier

Both countries also agreed to implement the Authorized Economic Operators Mutual Recognition Arrangement (AEO-MRA) by 2025 to simplify customs procedures. It will work under the Customs Cooperation Arrangement of 2024 and promote reliable trade.

Direct flights and tourism will get a boost

India and New Zealand also signed a Memorandum of Arrangement regarding tourism cooperation. Both the leaders urged airlines to take steps towards starting direct non-stop flights between India and New Zealand. Both the countries agreed to increase cooperation in areas like horticulture, forestry, animal husbandry and dairy. Under this, New Zealand will work on productivity schemes to increase the production of kiwi, apple and honey in India. Apart from this, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoC) was also agreed to establish Kiwi Center of Excellence in India and cooperation in animal husbandry and dairy sector.

Cooperation will be strengthened in maritime sector also

The two leaders also agreed to continue dialogue between India’s Directorate General of Shipping and Maritime New Zealand to strengthen mutual recognition of seafarers’ skill certificates. Both countries believe that this will ease the movement of sailors and will give new strength to cooperation in the maritime sector.

There is tremendous enthusiasm for the visit of an Indian Prime Minister to New Zealand after more than 40 years. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon himself warmly welcomed PM Narendra Modi upon his arrival in Auckland and also shared its video on social media. On the same post, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung expressed his best wishes for the friendship between India and New Zealand, to which PM Modi also replied that such thoughtful messages from friends are always special.

Lee Jae-myung’s message on Luxon’s post

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon shared a video of welcoming PM Modi on X. In the video, both the leaders are seen shaking hands and embracing warmly at the airport. Along with the post, Luxon wrote, ‘Welcome to New Zealand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.’

Responding to this post, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung wrote, ‘Best wishes for the friendship and progress of India and New Zealand.’ In his message he wished for further strengthening of relations between the two countries.

Also read: Has Iran rebuilt nuclear sites amid war? Satellite images disturbed America’s sleep

PM Modi replied

PM Modi also immediately reacted to President Lee Jae-myung’s message. He wrote, ‘President Lee Jae-myung, thank you for your good wishes. Such thoughtful messages from friends are always memorable.

Indian PM visits New Zealand after more than 40 years

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached New Zealand on Friday on a two-day state visit. This is the first visit to New Zealand by an Indian Prime Minister in more than 40 years. This visit is taking place at the invitation of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and its purpose is to further strengthen the relations between the two countries.

Also read: ‘I don’t trust America at all’, amid threats from Donald Trump, Ghalibaf bluntly said – Iran is ready for war

There will be discussion on many important issues

During this visit, PM Modi and Christopher Luxon will discuss trade, investment, defence, economic cooperation and other important issues. Both the leaders will also discuss in which new areas India and New Zealand can work together.

PM Modi will also meet the Indian community

During his visit to New Zealand, Prime Minister Modi will meet people from business and sports world. Apart from this, he will also address the Indian community living there.

Last stop of three country tour

New Zealand is the last stop of Prime Minister Modi’s three-nation tour. Before this he had visited Indonesia and Australia. PM Modi says that this visit will further strengthen India’s Act East policy, MAHASAGAR vision and India’s commitment towards a free and open Indo-Pacific. The New Zealand visit is expected to give new momentum to the relations between the two countries.

There has been a sharp reaction in New Zealand politics regarding the recently concluded Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and New Zealand. The country’s Foreign Minister and leader of the New Zealand First Party, Winston Peters, has strongly opposed this agreement, calling it ‘neither free nor fair’. He warned that the agreement was a ‘bad deal’ for New Zealand, in which the country had given too many concessions but received no concrete benefits in return.

‘Bad deal for New Zealand’
In a detailed post on social media platform X, Winston Peters said his party New Zealand First “regretfully opposes” the deal. They allege that in this FTA, serious concessions have been given on the immigration and investment front, while in return New Zealand did not get the expected benefits, especially in its major export sectors.

Allegations of loss to dairy farmers
Referring specifically to the dairy sector, Peters said that this agreement is not in the interests of New Zealand farmers. ‘This is not a good deal for New Zealand farmers and it is impossible to justify to our rural communities,’ he said.

More concessions on immigration, less benefits
According to Peters, New Zealand has given excessive concessions in the provisions related to immigration in the India-New Zealand FTA. He said that New Zealanders are not getting enough benefits from this agreement, especially in important sectors like dairy.

business expected to double
Despite Peters’ criticism, the governments of India and New Zealand have described this agreement as historic. Both countries say that this FTA can help in doubling bilateral trade in the next five years. According to the New Zealand government, under this agreement, duties will be eliminated or reduced on 95 percent of New Zealand’s exports to India, of which more than half of the products will become duty-free from day one. In return, all Indian products will get duty-free access to the New Zealand market. New Zealand has also committed to invest about 20 billion dollars in India in the next 15 years, which is being considered a big step in terms of economic relations between the two countries.

Prime Minister Lakson said ‘an agreement with great benefits’
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luckson defended this FTA, saying that it would provide wide-ranging and significant benefits. He said in the statement, ‘India’s vast size and rapid economic growth creates huge opportunities for jobs, exports and economic growth for New Zealand.’ The agreement also fulfills the promise made by Laxman’s National Party in the 2022 elections to finalize an FTA with India in its first term.

Differences exposed in coalition government
Winston Peters’ sharp reaction has made it clear that there are deep differences within the ruling coalition regarding the India-New Zealand FTA. In the coming days, this issue may become more heated in the domestic politics of New Zealand.