PM Modi arrives in New Zealand on the final leg of his three-nation tour, with talks on trade, defence and bilateral ties on the agenda.
Auckland: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in New Zealand on Friday on the final leg of his three-nation tour, where he is set to hold talks with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and engage with the Indian diaspora.
Modi’s visit marks the first visit by an Indian prime minister to New Zealand in four decades.
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Modi welcomed by Christopher Luxon in Auckland
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon received PM Modi at the airport in Auckland, where the two leaders exchanged a warm hug.
“Reached Auckland a short while ago. Thankful to Prime Minister Luxon for the welcome at the airport,” Modi said in a post on X.
Calling the visit historic, Modi said he looked forward to discussions with Luxon on strengthening the India-New Zealand partnership and would also address the Indian community in Auckland.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the visit would help strengthen bilateral ties and create new opportunities for cooperation in areas including trade, defence, sports, culture, education and people-to-people exchanges.
Visit to boost India’s Indo-Pacific engagement
Before departing for the tour, Modi said his visits to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand would strengthen India’s Act East Policy, MAHASAGAR Vision and commitment towards a free and open Indo-Pacific.
He added that the visit would build on the growing momentum in India-New Zealand ties following Luxon’s visit to India in March 2025.
Key outcomes from Australia and Indonesia visits
Modi arrived in New Zealand after completing a three-day visit to Australia, where he held summit talks with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
The two leaders reaffirmed the importance of the India-Australia partnership in promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Defence cooperation, particularly in the maritime sector, was a major focus of their discussions.
During the Australia visit, the two countries also finalised an agreement on civil nuclear energy that will facilitate the commercial supply of uranium to India for its nuclear power projects after more than two years of negotiations.
Earlier, in Indonesia, Modi signed 14 agreements aimed at expanding cooperation in areas including critical minerals, maritime security and other strategic sectors.
(With PTI inputs)
Published: 10 Jul 2026, 10:02 pm IST
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