India, New Zealand elevate ties to strategic partnership

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Auckland, New Zealand, on 10–11 July 2026 at the invitation of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

• The visit marked the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to New Zealand in 40 years, representing a historic milestone in bilateral relations.
• The two Prime Ministers reviewed the progress made since Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s visit to India in March 2025, during which both countries:
  • Launched negotiations for an India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
  • Signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in the fields of defence, education, customs, horticulture, forestry, and sports.

Key Outcomes of the Visit

• The leaders agreed to elevate bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership.
• They endorsed the “India–New Zealand Strategic Partnership: Roadmap to 2030”, which will serve as the framework for expanding cooperation over the next four years.

• India and New Zealand reaffirmed cooperation under Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150), where New Zealand served as Commander and India as Deputy Commander in 2025.
• The collaboration under CTF-150 supports efforts to combat:
  • Narcotics trafficking
  • Terrorism
  • Illicit maritime activities
    in the Middle East and the Western Indian Ocean.
• India welcomed New Zealand’s decision to adopt Maritime Security as its priority pillar under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).
• The two countries agreed to work towards the aspirational target of doubling bilateral trade in goods and services to NZ$7 billion (approximately ₹35,000 crore) by 2030.
• The Prime Ministers also welcomed the celebrations marking “100 Years of Unity Through Sport” in 2026, highlighting the long-standing sporting ties between the two nations.
• The visit further strengthened cooperation in trade, defence, maritime security, Indo-Pacific affairs, education, agriculture, and people-to-people exchanges, reinforcing the growing India–New Zealand partnership.

Source: PIB

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