New Zealand was the final leg of Modi’s three-nation visit, which also took him to Indonesia and Australia.
Modi was seen off by his Kiwi counterpart Christopher Luxon at the airport.
“A visit that deepened bonds, strengthened partnerships and shaped a shared future. After concluding substantive discussions and overseeing key set of outcomes in New Zealand, PM @narendramodi departs for India. In a special gesture, he was seen off by PM @chrisluxonmp at the airport,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a post on X.
Prime Minister @narendramodi’s three-country visit to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand delivered significant outcomes advancing cooperation across several sectors, including trade, technology, security, education, innovation and people-to-people exchanges among others,” it added.
In New Zealand, Modi held talks with Luxon, following which the two elevated their ties to a strategic partnership and set a five-year target to double their annual bilateral trade in goods and services to Rs 35,000 crore.
The meeting yielded 18 concrete outcomes, including 10 agreements. Key among them were a roadmap to expand ties in the next four years, a framework for enhancing Indo-Pacific maritime cooperation, and a reciprocal logistics support pact between the Indian Navy and the New Zealand Defence Force.
The visit came following the recent signing of the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA). It was the first visit to New Zealand by an Indian prime minister in 40 years.
During his visit, Modi also interacted with a select group of CEOs and business leaders.
At the interaction, Modi said that the landmark India-New Zealand free trade agreement would add depth and dynamism to the bilateral economic ties and open new opportunities for market access, investment and talent mobility.
He also interacted with the Indian community at an event titled ‘Kia Ora Modi’ in Auckland. — PTI