New Zealand, India upgrade ties as Modi visits

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon have upgraded their countries’ diplomatic ties amid concerns about threats to the Asia-Pacific region.

The leaders said in a statement that their talks in Auckland elevated bilateral relations to a “strategic partnership”, reflecting their nations’ “shared democratic values, deep people-to-people ties and shared interests in the Indo-Pacific”.

Modi, who arrived after signing deals with Indonesia and Australia on Friday night, will address an Indian diaspora event at the Auckland arena on Saturday, public broadcaster Radio New Zealand reported.

The first visit by an Indian prime minister to New Zealand in 40 years comes at a time of rising anti-Indian sentiment in New Zealand and tensions in the ruling coalition caused by a free trade agreement between the two countries.

The two countries also bonded on security, signing a defense cooperation arrangement and pledging greater cooperation on maritime security; this reflects shared concerns about stability in the Indo-Pacific.

However, increased immigration from India has made the community a flashpoint in the immigration debate in New Zealand; As Indian New Zealanders report more racist abuse, politicians including Winston Peters’ New Zealand First Party are pushing for tighter immigration controls.

About 292,000 of New Zealand’s population of 5.3 million identified as Indian in the 2023 census.