Finance
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met today with the Prime Minister of New Zealand, the Rt. Hon. Christopher Luxon at Government House in Auckland. On arrival at Government House, he was accorded a traditional Māori welcome. The ceremony included customary Māori rituals symbolising peace, respect and welcome. Following the traditional welcome, Prime Minister inspected the Guard of Honour.
The two Prime Ministers held extensive bilateral discussions in restricted and delegation-level formats. Their talks covered the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, including trade and investment, defence and security, agri-tech, sports, education, tourism, culture and people-to-people ties. They agreed to elevate the bilateral relationship to the level of Strategic Partnership, marking a new chapter in India-New Zealand relations. They reaffirmed their commitment to deepen cooperation across areas of mutual interest. Both leaders underscored the importance of the early implementation of the India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement. The two Prime Ministers set a target to double bilateral trade by 2030. The leaders exchanged views on regional and global developments and reiterated their commitment to strengthening cooperation in multilateral fora.
Following the talks, the two Prime Ministers witnessed the exchange of several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and understandings in the fields of defense and maritime security, hydrography, sports, disaster management, dairy, tourism, maritime heritage, culture, food technology and ocean research. The list of outcomes may be seen here [link]. A Joint Statement on the way forward for the bilateral partnership was also adopted by the two leaders [Link].
Prime Minister Modi thanked Prime Minister Luxon for his warmth and hospitality and invited him to visit India.
Source: PIB
