7 days ago
With free trade talks underway, India and New Zealand eye regional security
Foreign Minister Winston Peters
Photo:
RNZ / Nate Mckinnon
Foreign Minister Winston Peters met his Indian counterpart in New Delhi last week to explore the "next steps" required to ensure a stable, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific now that free trade talks between the two nations have restarted.
Peters' two-day visit to India concluded a four-country tour that also included trips to Australia, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
"[India's Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam] Jaishankar and Peters discussed the strengthening ties between New Zealand and India over the past 18 months and explored the next steps required to realise the bilateral relationship's full potential," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) said in a social media post.
"[They] spoke about recent developments in both South Asia and the Pacific Islands region and discussed how New Zealand and India can work together to ensure a stable, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific."
While in India, Peters repeated his condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack in India-administered Kashmir on 22 April, according to MFAT.
He also met India's leader of the opposition, Rahul Gandhi, and delivered a speech at the Ananta Aspen Centre outlining why New Zealand wanted stronger relations with the South Asian nation.
"For New Zealand, India presents immense untapped potential," Peters said during his speech in New Delhi.
"Our strengths - from food and beverage products to agriculture, forestry, horticulture, education and tourism - are world class. And our innovation in areas like outer space and renewable energy will find a welcoming partner in India.
"Since the Foreign Policy Reset [endorsed by Cabinet in February 2024], we've made concrete strides.
"We've launched negotiations on a comprehensive free trade agreement - a breakthrough in our economic relationship. But even before that milestone, we had put in place measures to deepen the economic relationship, with new arrangements on horticulture, forestry and education also recently finalised.
"Additionally, we have seen a memorandum of understanding signed between Air New Zealand and Air India to explore a codeshare agreement on 16 routes across India, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. This will make travel between our nations easier, boosting tourism, education and business connections."
Calling India "a geopolitical giant", the foreign minister noted a recently signed defence cooperation arrangement between the two countries that was expected to facilitate closer military links.
"The New Zealand Navy is leading Combined Task Force 150, charged with securing trade routes and countering terrorism, smuggling and piracy in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden," Peters said.
"India's involvement in this mission, as deputy command of the task force, underscores the growing closeness of our defence ties. The task force has already had very real impact, disrupting the trade of $600 million worth of illegal drugs so far.
"India makes a significant contribution to upholding the rules-based international system on which we rely, via its growing influence in multilateral forums."
Meanwhile, Jaishankar thanked New Zealand for its support and solidarity on the terrorist attack in India-administered Kashmir.
"[We] agreed that in a more volatile and uncertain world, it's important that India and New Zealand collaborate closely for a rules-based, peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region," Jaishankar wrote in a social media post.
