Latest news with #Peters
Scoop
2 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
NZ And India Cement Progress As Four-Country Tour Ends
Rt Hon Winston Peters Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Foreign Affairs New Zealand and India have discussed their enhanced relationship across a broad range of domains, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. 'New Zealand and India have agreed that we can and should be doing more together,' Mr Peters says. 'Both countries have worked hard over the last 18 months to bring energy, focus and deeper practical cooperation to the relationship.' While in New Delhi, Mr Peters held official talks and had a working dinner with India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. 'This has been an excellent opportunity to take stock of the progress we have made over the past year-and-a-half, while also discussing the pressing regional and global challenges our countries face,' Mr Peters says. 'New Zealand and India have a shared interest in promoting a stable, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. My discussions with Minister Jaishankar and have been invaluable in understanding Indian perspectives on recent events and charting our course for enhanced bilateral cooperation.' Mr Peters noted that, over the past 18 months, New Zealand and India had made concrete steps towards closer engagement across a wide range of domains, including defence and security, trade and economic cooperation, science and technology and sport. While in New Delhi, Mr Peters also had meetings with the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, JP Nadda, and the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi; and delivered a speech about New Zealand's strengthening ties with South and South East Asia under the Foreign Policy Reset. His visit to India concluded a four-country tour which also included trips to Australia, Sri Lanka and Nepal. 'New Zealand's strategic and economic interests are inextricably tied to the Indo-Pacific, including South Asia. It is crucial that we continue to invest in and strengthen our relationships here,' Mr Peters says. 'This week has also highlighted the quality of our relationships in South Asia, characterised by rich people-to-people connections, a common desire to do more together, and shared perspectives on the challenges facing our region.' During the first half of this Parliamentary term (from December 2023 to May 2025), Mr Peters has visited 45 countries and spent 154 days overseas on official visits. Mr Peters returns to New Zealand later today (31 May).
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Pursuing FTA with India with real intent: New Zealand foreign minister
File photo: New Zealand deputy PM and foreign minister Winston Peters NEW DELHI: New Zealand is pursuing a free trade agreement (FTA) purposefully with India for which negotiations were launched earlier this year, visiting Deputy PM and foreign minister Winston Peters said Friday. Peters discussed with his counterpart S Jaishankar issues related to trade, economy, defence and security in a bilateral meeting, while unequivocally condemning the Pahalgam terrorist attack and expressing solidarity with the people of India. They also affirmed their shared commitment to a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Speaking at the Ananta Centre later, Peters said that FTA talks were continuing with a real meaning now and described it as a breakthrough in economic ties with India. Differences remain over tariffs on dairy products though and the minister said he was aware of the concerns of the dairy industry in India. "Despite India's economic scale, it remains our 12th largest partner in trade, accounting for just 1.5% of our exports. We are determined that we're going to work to change that. 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 welcome partner in India," said Peters, describing India as an emerging geopolitical giant. Peters added, "we are not in it to enrich ourselves, we are in it to enrich both peoples". Peters said that enhancing defence security with India remained a top priority in the Indo-Pacific.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Lakes a priority for Sen. Peters before retirement
MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. (WOOD) — Now in his final term in the U.S. Senate and even in increasingly difficult circumstances in Washington, Gary Peters says he has things he would like to do before he leaves office. One priority is the environment. 'I'll still be working to get more Great Lakes legislation done. We have to do more work in that area. We've got to have more Great Lakes restoration funding. That's under challenge right now,' Sen. Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, said. 'I want to keep that as strong as possible for years to come cause it's essential to keep … all the places across our great state clean and vibrant for future generations.' Sen. Gary Peters says successor should 'find common ground' Peters announced in January that he would not seek a third term in the Senate. The election to fill his seat is more than a year away, in November 2026. A number of Democrats including state Sen. Mallory McMorrow of Royal Oak, former public health official Abdul El-Sayed of Ann Arbor, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens of Birmingham and former state House Speaker Joe Tate of Detroit, have announced they will seek their party's nomination. On the Republican side, former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, who lost in a tight election against Sen. Elissa Slotkin last year, is running again. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Working closely with India on defence, security issues: New Zealand Deputy PM
In the current era of 'great uncertainty', New Zealand has started working 'more closely' with India in the fields of defence and security, said Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand in New Delhi on Friday (May 30, 2025). Speaking at an event, Mr. Peters gave an overview of his country's foreign policy, and said that freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region is 'crucial' for New Zealand. Editorial | Navigating differences: On India-New Zealand ties 'During a time of great uncertainty, instability and disorder, we have taken steps to work more closely on matters of defence and security with India. A recently signed Defence Cooperation Arrangement will facilitate closer links between our militaries,' Mr. Peters said, speaking at a fireside chat organised by the Ananta Aspen Centre. Security cooperation Mr. Peters, who was among the global leaders who had joined India in condoling the loss of lives in the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, said that security cooperation between the two sides is increasing. '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,' he added. To deal with the uncertain and unpredictable conditions in the fields of security and economy, New Zealand has 'reset' its foreign policy and is 'significantly increasing' its 'focus and resources' on south and southeast Asia, Mr. Peters said. Describing India as a 'geopolitical giant', he said that India has emerged as an 'indispensable security actor in both regional and global spheres. In the prevailing international circumstances, he argued in favour of giving space to diplomacy saying, 'We need more diplomacy, more engagement, more compromise.' 'Small states matter' 'Since war and instability is everyone's calamity, diplomacy is the business of us all. We have observed that at this moment in time the ability to talk with, rather than at, each other has never been more needed,' Mr. Peters said, arguing in favour of safeguarding rights of countries like New Zealand that he described as a 'small state'. He described New Zealand's foreign policy reset as the outcome of three pillars: the realism of the New Zealand government's foreign policy, importance of diplomacy in the troubled world, and New Zealand's 'unshakeable belief that small states matter and that all states are equal.' Freedom of navigation Mr Peters, who held an official-level meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday (May 29, 2025), described the maritime interests of his country unambiguously and said New Zealand is 'self-evidently' a maritime nation that regards freedom of navigation as 'crucial' both for itself and for India. Mr. Peters is the second high-level leader from New Zealand to visit India in three months. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon visited India during March 16-20, when the two sides announced the launch of a Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (CFTA). Deputy Foreign Minister Peters described the launch of FTA negotiations as a 'breakthrough' in bilateral India-New Zealand economic relations. Mr Peters also met with the Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and discussed 'democratic systems and recent developments in both countries'.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
'Not in it to enrich ourselves, we are in it to enrich both peoples': NZ FM on FTA negotiations
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads New Delhi: Describing the negotiations on a comprehensive free trade agreement a "breakthrough" in India-New Zealand economic relationship, Foreign Minister Winston Peters on Friday said "we are not in it to enrich ourselves, we are in it to enrich both peoples".In an interactive session after delivering an address at an event here, Peters also elaborated on the trade talks, and said he "understands the concern" of the dairy industry in India."We have started off, and this conversation is going on with real meaning now," he said."We know that there is going to be certain areas.., barriers of concern. I understand, for example, the concern of the dairy industry in India," the foreign minister March 2025, New Zealand and India announced the launch of negotiations towards a comprehensive free trade agreement."India is one of the largest and fastest growing economies in the world. It represents significant opportunities for trade, and is a priority relationship for the New Zealand Government ," according to the website of the New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and negotiation towards a comprehensive free trade agreement will "allow us to address both tariff and non-tariff barriers that impact our exporters looking to do business in India," it also the Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand, is currently on a visit to his address at the event hosted by think-tank Ananta, he also said, "since the foreign policy reset, we have made concrete strides"."We have launched negotiations on a comprehensive free trade agreement, a breakthrough in our economic relationship," Peters his address, he also said that despite India's economic scale, "it remains only our 12th largest partner in trade, accounting for just 1.5 per cent of our exports"."We are determined that we are going to work to change it," he he took part in the interaction hosted by the think-tank, during which he spoke about the negotiations towards a comprehensive FTA , the key products of New Zealand, both economically, as also its exotic destinations that attract huge number of tourists from various parts of the a query on dairy industry in the context of the negotiations, he said, "You need 35 per cent more food in the next 35 years, and our country, rather than being an opponent can be a serious help, to drive up your productivity in the dairy industry, to bring about better performance, better breeding, better outcomes, better production.""The more we look at India, we see opportunities everywhere, if we can get this across the line," he said."We are not in it to enrich ourselves, we are in it to enrich both peoples, we got a lot to offer in that sense, host of things, where New Zealand is good at."
