New Zealand, India upgrade ties as PM Modi visits Auckland

WELLINGTON: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon upgraded their nations’ diplomatic ties on Saturday, as Modi seeks to bolster New Delhi’s ties in the Asia-Pacific region.

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

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

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

The two countries have also moved closer on security, signing a defence cooperation arrangement and pledging greater collaboration on maritime safety, reflecting shared concerns about stability in the Indo-Pacific.

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However, rising Indian migration has made the community a flashpoint in New Zealand’s immigration debate, with Indian New Zealanders reporting more racial abuse while politicians including Winston Peters’ New Zealand First party push for tighter migrant controls. About 292,000 of New Zealand’s 5.3 million people identified as Indian in a 2023 census.