Auckland: Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a special Gala luncheon event hosted in his honour by the prime minister of New Zealand, Christopher Luxon, in Auckland on Saturday.
Themed “India-New Zealand: A Winning Partnership”, the event was attended by eminent personalities from the fields of politics, business, industry, academia, technology, sports, and the arts.
PM Modi’s visit to the country is the first by an Indian Prime Minister in the last 40 years. Luxon had visited India in 2025, when the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries was finalised.
During this visit by the Indian PM, the l
eaders extended the strategic partnership between the two nations to 2030.
In his welcome address at the luncheon, Luxon highlighted the deep and enduring ties between India and New Zealand and outlined a shared vision for strengthening bilateral cooperation and advancing mutual prosperity.
Prime Minister Modi noted the complementarities between the two countries and their enduring people-to-people ties. He welcomed the elevation of the bilateral ties to the level of Strategic Partnership and expressed confidence that it would further deepen the ongoing collaboration. The India-New Zealand FTA, concluded in record time, would open new opportunities for the businesses, the youth and farmers in both countries and help achieve the target of doubling bilateral trade by 2030, he stated.
After the gala luncheon, the two prime ministers did a walk-through of the innovative sports equipments that were displayed at the venue.
They also interacted with decorated athletes from New Zealand and other stakeholders associated with high performance sports.
PM Modi recalled 100 years of sports engagement between the two sides and noted that the Sports Joint Action Plan concluded during the visit would help the two countries expand ties beyond cricket.