India and New Zealand upgraded their relationship to a strategic partnership as they signed defence agreements to boost maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, facilitate reciprocal logistics support between the Indian Navy and the New Zealand Defence Force and strengthen hydrographic collaboration. The 18 agreements and announcements that followed PM Narendra Modi’s summit meeting with his counterpart Christopher Luxon included the establishment of a joint working group to combat terrorism and a joint action plan for collaboration in high-performance sports to expand ties beyond cricket. The leaders called for doubling of bilateral trade in the next 5 years to Rs 35,000 crore on the back of the newly signed FTA, with Modi welcoming New Zealand’s commitment to invest $ 20 billion in India over the next 15 years – a key takeaway from the trade agreement. Luxon later said the FTA included a “commitment to promote” private investment. “We’ve been through this before – it’s very clearly understood on both sides – it’s a commitment to promote investment into India from New Zealand and vice versa,” said Luxon, clarifying his country’s position on the issue. According to Modi, this wasn’t just a commitment to investment, but a commitment to becoming a partner in India’s developmental journey. The leaders agreed to work towards early and effective implementation of the FTA. The strategic partnership – which is expected to enhance cooperation in trade, defence, maritime security, tourism, culture, sports and multilateral issues – came coupled with a Roadmap to 2030 to guide structured implementation of the agenda across ministries and stakeholders in the next 4 years. “India and New Zealand’s firm belief in democratic values provides us with a natural comfort to move forward together. We have taken the historic decision to elevate India-New Zealand relations to the level of a strategic partnership. Under this, we will move forward with clear goals and concrete outcomes in every field,” said Modi, adding that the FTA will open new doors for industries, farmers, and youth as the 2 countries also prepare a blueprint for trust, technology, and talent. He said because of the common belief in democratic values, India and New Zealand were natural partners and their ties made for each other. Modi said cooperation between India and New Zealand is vital for peace, stability, and security in the Indo-Pacific and the growing defence and security ties reflected a deep strategic trust. “Today, we have formed a Joint Working Group to move forward shoulder to shoulder on the issue of terrorism,” said Modi, as Luxon joined him in strongly condemning cross-border terrorism, the Pahalgam terrorist attack and the Red Fort “terror incident” in a joint statement. New Zealand backed India’s zero-tolerance policy against terrorism. The working group on terrorism is expected to facilitate exchange of information also about Khalistan separatists active on foreign soil. Amid concerns in India over the delay in processing of student visas, the leaders recognised education in the joint statement as a “central pillar” of the relationship, underpinning people-to-people links, skills development, research collaboration and long-term economic partnership. Modi said New Zealand has been an important destination for Indian students and invited local universities to open campuses in India. Responding to a question at a media briefing about the high rate of rejection of visas for Indians, MEA secretary (east) Rudrendra Tandon said visa is a sovereign issue but added it’s also a “loss of opportunity for the speed at which we can build up a relationship”. On regional and global issues, according to the joint statement, the leaders expressed concern over renewed escalation of tensions in West Asia and called upon all parties to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and ensure protection of civilians. They called for full restoration of freedom of navigation and the global flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz, while opposing any constraints on shipping. As they underlined the need for an effective multilateral system and bold UN reforms, New Zealand reaffirmed its support for India’s permanent membership of a reformed and expanded United Nations Security Council (UNSC). New Zealand also reiterated support for India’s NSG membership bid. While emphasising the importance of security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, the leaders also briefly discussed China’s recent submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) test. Modi and Luxon reiterated their commitment to freedom of navigation and overflight, in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). They discussed the importance of stable, transparent, and resilient supply chains, expressing concern about the impact of disruptions across the Indo-Pacific and underscoring the need for stable global supply routes.