Modi, Luxon Hold Landmark Bilateral Talks

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held delegation-level talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon during his historic visit to New Zealand, marking the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in four decades.

LIVE: PM Shri @narendramodi attends delegation-level talks with New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon. https://t.co/Bu5lxKw5vk

— BJP (@BJP4India) July 11, 2026

Expressing gratitude for the warm welcome, PM Modi thanked Prime Minister Luxon for personally receiving him at the airport, calling it a significant gesture that reflected the warmth of India-New Zealand friendship. He also appreciated the decision to host the official programme in Auckland, describing it as a move that had given fresh momentum to bilateral relations.

𝐀 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚–𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐙𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬. 🇮🇳 🇳🇿

PM Modi and New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon held wide-ranging talks across trade, defence, education, sports, culture and more.

The meeting gave fresh momentum to the India–New Zealand FTA and… pic.twitter.com/AsokZnOvqG

— BJP (@BJP4India) July 11, 2026

Highlighting the rapid progress in trade negotiations, PM Modi noted that discussions on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) began during PM Luxon's visit to India and praised the swift advancement made since then. He remarked that achieving such progress in a short period was a rare accomplishment in global diplomacy.

A key outcome of the meeting was the elevation of India-New Zealand relations to a Strategic Partnership, a milestone that both leaders said would deepen cooperation across trade, investment, defence, technology, education, innovation, and people-to-people exchanges.

PM Modi also underscored the importance of the two countries as maritime democracies in the Indo-Pacific, saying closer cooperation would contribute to regional peace, stability, prosperity, and a rules-based international order.

The leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to expanding bilateral engagement and expressed confidence that the visit would open a new chapter in India-New Zealand relations, built on mutual trust, shared democratic values, and long-term strategic cooperation.