PM Luxon posts thank you note describing India as 'increasingly important partner for New Zealand'

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Saturday said the partnership between Wellington and New Delhi "has grown much stronger during my visit this week." Starting March 16, Luxon was on a five-day visit to India with a focus on deepening the bilateral trade and economic ties with New Delhi.

After returning to New Zealand, Luxon made a series of posts on X recapping the India visit and highlighted the achievements on defence, trade and other sectors.

Terming India as "an increasingly important partner for New Zealand," Luxon said, "That partnership has grown much stronger during my visit this week" and added it was a pleasure "to spend time with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss ways to strengthen ties between our countries."



"New Zealand's commitment to regional security has also been reinforced, with New Zealand and India announcing a new Defence Cooperation Arrangement," he said.

Luxon visited India from March 16 to 20 in his first trip to the country as prime minister. He was accompanied by one of the largest delegations a New Zealand prime minister has ever travelled with. He visited New Delhi and Mumbai and met a wide variety of people, including top political leaders, businessmen, Hindi film industry stars and also visited the popular tourist places.

Luxon also expressed happiness that negotiations on a Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement have been launched and said India is "one of the fastest-growing economies" and on track to become the third largest in the world over the next 10 years.

The prime minister also said that he and the accompanying business delegation focused on enhancing New Zealand's presence in key sectors, including education, technology, tourism, investment, manufacturing, food and primary industries.

"Unlocking new business opportunities, 33 MoUs and other commercial outcomes were progressed on the mission, reflecting the growing partnerships between New Zealand and Indian businesses," he posted on X.