Prime Minister Narendra Modi has concluded his two-day visit to New Zealand and departed for India. The visit, the first by an Indian Prime Minister to New Zealand in over four decades, gave a major boost to bilateral ties.

 

During the visit, Prime Minister Modi held talks with his New Zealand counterpart, Christopher Luxon. The two leaders witnessed the exchange of five Memoranda of Understanding in areas including defence, tourism, sports, disaster management, and dairy and animal husbandry.

 

A major highlight of the visit was the community event at Auckland’s Spark Arena, attended by over ten thousand members of the Indian diaspora. Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Luxon described India as a trusted friend, praised the contribution of the Indian community to New Zealand’s progress, and appreciated Prime Minister Modi’s leadership.

 

Prime Minister Modi thanked Prime Minister Luxon for his warm hospitality and said the visit had opened a new chapter in India-New Zealand relations. Referring to the 40-year gap since the last visit by an Indian Prime Minister, he said the next visit would not take so long.