Auckland, July 11 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said India and New Zealand will move ahead with clear goals and concrete outcomes after his talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Auckland, highlighting expanded cooperation across trade, technology, investment, agriculture, defence, healthcare, education and culture.
In a post on X, PM Modi said his meeting with PM Luxon was “extensive and fruitful” and underlined the importance of recent high-level engagements in strengthening bilateral relations.
“Held extensive and fruitful talks with PM Luxon in Auckland this morning. His own visit to India last year energised our bilateral partnership and my visit today, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 4 decades, has added further momentum to the India-New Zealand friendship. We have decided to elevate our ties to a Strategic Partnership. We will move forward across every sector with clear goals and concrete outcomes,” PM Modi posted on X.
The Prime Minister said the discussions covered several key areas aimed at expanding economic and strategic cooperation between the two countries.
“The areas which were prominently covered in the talks with PM Luxon include trade, technology and investment linkages. We have also developed a strong framework for cooperation in agriculture, dairy and food processing. Equally important is the emphasis on healthcare and traditional medicine. Our growing cooperation in defence and security reflects the deep strategic trust between our two countries. This is something we will build on as well,” PM Modi said in another post.
PM Modi also highlighted the importance of people-to-people connections, describing them as the foundation of India-New Zealand relations.
“PM Luxon and I firmly believe that the greatest strength of our relationship lies in our people-to-people ties. In that spirit, we will enhance cooperation in education, sports, culture, heritage and creative industries,” he added.
The Prime Minister’s remarks came after his bilateral meeting with Luxon during his official visit to New Zealand, which marks the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in four decades.
During the talks, the two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including trade and commerce, defence and security, education, sports, culture and technology. They also witnessed the exchange of several agreements and cooperation arrangements covering sectors such as defence, disaster management, tourism, sports and animal husbandry.
The visit is expected to provide fresh momentum to India-New Zealand relations, with both sides focussing on expanding economic engagement, strengthening strategic cooperation and deepening the long-standing bonds between the people of the two countries.
–IANS
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