New Delhi, July 30 (IANS) India’s relationship with New Zealand has entered a new phase following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, the first to the country by an Indian Premier in two decades, according to an article published by NZIIA (New Zealand Institute of International Affairs).
The article highlights that during the two-day visit, PM Modi and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon upgraded the ties between the two countries to a full Strategic Partnership, backed by a four-year “Roadmap to 2030” spanning defence, trade, maritime security, agriculture, tourism, sports, culture and science.
India has gained importance in New Zealand’s long-term strategy as the country us among the fastest-growing major economies and is projected to become the world’s third-largest economy by 2030, with GDP estimated at around $7 trillion (NZ$12 trillion). India’s middle class is expected to exceed 700 million people, creating one of the largest consumer markets on Earth, the article states.
During the Auckland visit, Modi and New Zealand counterpart Luxon set a formal target to double bilateral trade to NZ$7 billion (about $4.2 billion) by 2030.
The article highlights that PM Modi’s visit produced 18 outcomes, including 10 agreements and memorandums of understanding, that go well beyond trade. The centre piece, the ‘Roadmap to 2030’, sets a four-year framework for cooperation across defence, trade, maritime security, tourism, agriculture, sports, scientific research, people-to-people exchanges and multilateral engagement.
Defence and maritime security dominated the agenda. India and New Zealand concluded a Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement enabling the Indian Navy and the New Zealand Defence Force to access each other’s facilities for refuelling, replenishment and maintenance during deployments.
The two countries also signed a Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Cooperation to strengthen dialogue, operational coordination and information-sharing across the Indo-Pacific.
They agreed to establish a Maritime Security Dialogue, and New Zealand will lead the maritime-security pillar of India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, focusing on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. A new Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism will deepen intelligence-sharing and coordination, the article observes.
–IANS
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