From India ‘Not A Priority’ To India Being ‘Consequential’ Partner, New Zealand Changes Colours

<p style=”font-weight: 400;”><strong>India-New Zealand Ties:&nbsp;</strong>Prime Minister of New Zealand Christopher Luxon&rsquo;s maiden visit to India is nothing short of a damage control measure even as he sought to pull the bilateral relationship from a frozen state which till a couple of years was &ldquo;not a priority&rdquo;. PM Luxon Monday announced wide-ranging measures from calling Delhi as Wellington&rsquo;s &ldquo;consequential&rdquo; partner in the Indo-Pacific strategic construct to agreeing to negotiate a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) even as the island country seeks to counter China&rsquo;s growing military might.</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>During their bilateral summit that took place Monday, PM Modi and PM Luxon decided that both sides will not only be negotiating the long-pending comprehensive free trade agreement &ndash; a decision that was made way back in 2011 &ndash; but will also enhance their strategic partnership in defence and promote jointness under the Indo-Pacific framework, aiming at facing a growing China.</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>&ldquo;We have decided to begin discussions for a mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement between the two countries. This shall increase the potential for bilateral trade and investment,&rdquo; said Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his meeting with Luxon.</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>Modi also said mutual cooperation and investment will be promoted in the fields of dairy, food processing and pharmaceuticals. Both sides have also decided to enhance mutual cooperation in the areas of renewable energy and critical minerals.</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>&ldquo;India is committed to do more with India across a wide range of areas &ndash; defence and security, trade and economics, education, tourism, sports and culture&hellip;The (trade) negotiations will expand opportunities for both our countries and people,&rdquo; Luxon said.</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>Before the bilateral meeting, PM Luxon told journalists who are accompanying him in the trip, &ldquo;Actually what this is all about? It&rsquo;s about actually getting cash back into Kiwi&rsquo;s pockets, and we do that by growing our economy and expanding our trade opportunities. That&rsquo;s important.&rdquo;</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>On Sunday, both sides officially launched the talks for having the FTA during a meeting between Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and his New Zealand counterpart Todd McClay, who has come to India as part of PM Luxon&rsquo;s official delegation.</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>The decision to have a India-New Zealand FTA was decided in 2011 and since then 10 rounds of talks were held till February 2015.</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>Thereafter, during the visit of the former New Zealand PM John Key in 2016, both sides decided to conclude the deal &ldquo;early&rdquo; but talks continued to remain stalled even as the relationship went into deep freeze owing to Wellington&rsquo;s lack of desire to enhance ties with Delhi. Key was the last PM of New Zealand to visit India.</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>In 2022, when a new government came in place in New Zealand their Foreign Minister&nbsp;<a href=”https://news.abplive.com/india-at-2047/five-eyes-alliance-objective-different-from-quad-s-new-zealand-says-on-india-s-potential-membership-1581110″ data-saferedirecturl=”https://www.google.com/url?q=https://news.abplive.com/india-at-2047/five-eyes-alliance-objective-different-from-quad-s-new-zealand-says-on-india-s-potential-membership-1581110&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1742311806975000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0wpVcV8Ewu_bBmDGuPuem3″>Nanaia Mahuta</a>&nbsp;told External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar who on an official visit to that country, that the FTA is &ldquo;not a priority for New Zealand&rdquo;.</p>
<h2 style=”font-weight: 400;”><strong>India &lsquo;Consequential&rsquo; Partner In Indo-Pacific</strong></h2>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>During his address to the Raisina Dialogue 2025, Luxon said for New Zealand, India is a &ldquo;consequential&rdquo; partner under the Indo-Pacific strategic framework. This, he said, as a Pacific nation, New Zealand also faces the challenge of China. However, he did not take China&rsquo;s name explicitly.</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>Luxon also said, in order to enhance the defence and security partnership between both countries, New Zealand will be dispatching a frigate – HMNZS Te Kaha – to India again next week.</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>&ldquo;The Prime Ministers welcomed sustained progress in defence engagements, including through participation in military exercises, staff college exchanges, regular port calls by naval ships, and exchange of high-level defence delegations. They recalled that the Indian Naval sailing vessel Tarini made a port call at Lyttelton, Christchurch, New Zealand in December 2024. They also referred to the upcoming port call in Mumbai by the Royal New Zealand Navy Ship HMNZS Te Kaha,&rdquo; said the joint statement.</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>It added, &ldquo;Both Leaders welcomed the signing of the India-New Zealand Memorandum of Understanding for Defence Cooperation. This will further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation and establish regular bilateral defence engagement. Both sides noted the need for ensuring the safety and security of sea lanes of communication and agreed there needs to be regular dialogue to discuss enhancement of maritime safety.&rdquo;</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>New Zealand also welcomed India joining the Combined Maritimes Forces. Both Leaders welcomed advancement in defence ties during New Zealand command of Command Task Force 150.</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>Earlier this year, New Zealand and Australia expressed serious concerns over the presence of Chinese navy near Australian shores. The Chinese navy comprised of a frigate, a cruiser and an oil tanker making rounds of the oceans near to Australia.</p>