The first visit by a New Zealand prime minister to India in nearly a decade blurs some key facts: situated in the south-west Pacific Ocean, New Zealand may be small in terms of land mass with a tiny military, nevertheless it is a key member of the Five Eyes intelligence network that includes Australia, Canada, the UK and the US.
The joint statement issued at the end of talks underscored common concerns about China, which recently held a naval drill in the seas between Australia and New Zealand. The statement recognised that “We face an increasingly uncertain and dangerous world”, and upheld the right to freedom of navigation and overflight with a view to ensuring a peaceful, stable Indo Pacific “where the rules-based international order is upheld”.
New Zealand has agreed to join the Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative (IPOI), an India-led framework for regional maritime security and cooperation. An MoU was signed that covers joint military exercises, staff college exchanges, regular naval port calls, and the exchange of high-level defence delegations.
PM Modi underscored the need for continued dialogue on maritime security and safety, with cooperation extending to regular officer training exchanges and enhanced capacity-building initiatives. . .
Terrorism was another issue that drew their attention. Although New Zealand’s population is a little over five million with about six per cent comprising people of Indian origin, there are Khalistani separatists among them driven by the same anti-India agenda that motivates Khalistani groups in the Australia, the UK and the US. Which is why, during talks with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Narendra Modi urged him to keep a weather eye on them.
“About Khalistan this was an issue that came up,” confirmed Jaideep Mazumdar, senior Indian diplomat who briefed the media after the talks got over. “We do alert our friends to the activities of anti-India elements. Their abuse of freedom of speech and other democratic freedoms to glorify terrorism and threaten violence against our diplomats, our parliament .”
“We have the same opinion on terrorism,” Modi said during his joint address with Luxon, “Whether it is the terrorist attack in Christ Church in 2019 or Mumbai 26/11, terrorism is unacceptable. Strict action is necessary against terrorist perpetrators. We will work together.”
With bilateral trade now crossing $1 billion, the two leaders announced the relaunch of negotiations on a free trade agreement with Modi noting that “A bilateral trade agreement can foster mutually beneficial trade and investment growth, ensuring equitable gains and complementarities for both sides.”
A customs agreement was signed to ensure smooth movement of goods between the two countries.
An MoU on Sports includes plans for a “Sporting Unity” event in 2026 to commemorate 100 years of sporting ties between the two nations. India and New Zealand enjoy close sporting links, particularly in cricket, hockey and mountaineering.
India is the second-largest source of international students in New Zealand, and the Indian-origin community in the country numbers over 300,000. This number is expected to rise, as the joint statement mentioned ongoing negotiations to facilitate mobility for professionals and skilled workers.
Modi invited New Zealand universities to establish campuses in India. To strengthen academic ties, both countries signed an Education Cooperation Agreement.
