India and New Zealand on Saturday elevated their bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership, marking a major milestone during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s landmark visit to Wellington.
Modi, the first Indian prime minister to visit New Zealand in 40 years, held what Indian officials described as “wide-ranging and productive talks” with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, covering trade, defence, security and regional cooperation.
Announcing the outcome of the meeting, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said:
“In a significant step, both leaders decided to elevate the bilateral ties to strategic partnership.”
The two sides also discussed negotiations on the proposed India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement and exchanged several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and cooperation agreements, including in the defence sector.
According to a joint statement, the leaders agreed to strengthen maritime cooperation and maintain regular engagement between their defence ministries and armed forces. They also set a target of doubling bilateral trade in goods and services by 2030, signalling a deeper economic partnership between the two countries.