Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will meet with Narendra Modi when he visits India next week.
Luxon will be accompanied by “one of the largest delegations a New Zealand Prime Minister has ever travelled with” when he heads to India on March 15.
The delegation will be made up of New Zealand business leaders; prominent Kiwi-Indians in the community; and representatives from across Parliament. the Prime Minister’s Office said today in a media release. Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston, Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay, and Ethnic Communities Minister Mark Mitchell will also be in attendance.
Luxon said strengthening Aotearoa’s ties with India “is a key priority for my Government”.
“We’ve already made incredible progress over the last year as we invest in building a broad-based, sustainable relationship with India – the world’s fastest-growing major economy, and the place from which 6% of New Zealand’s population claim their heritage. I hope my visit will further strengthen the close links between us.”
The Prime Minister will meet with his Indian counterpart to explore areas of cooperation, deepen political and security ties, and strengthen the economic relationship.
“India is an important power in the Indo-Pacific and I will discuss with Prime Minister Modi what more we can do together to maintain peace and prosperity in our region,” Luxon said.
India is the fifth largest economy in the world and is expected to become the third largest.
“The large and growing Indian diaspora make significant contributions to New Zealand. I am pleased to be travelling with a first-of-its-kind community delegation, to highlight the importance of the people to people links we share, and to profile the best and brightest among Kiwi-Indians,” Luxon said.
While in New Delhi, Luxon will give the inaugural address at the Raisina Dialogue, India’s premier defence and security dialogue. He will also travel to Mumbai to meet with senior business leaders.
“New Zealand’s relationship with India is more important than ever at this time of geopolitical uncertainty. I am confident my visit will achieve a step change in our engagement, as we continue to strengthen our mutual security and prosperity,” Luxon said.
