"Firm commitment from New Zealand": Labour Party backs FTA during PM Modi's visit

Speaking to ANI, Vanushi Walters, the Labour Party's spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, emphasised that the agreement represents a "significant milestone" in the burgeoning bilateral relationship, built on mutual respect and shared democratic values.

"It's a firm commitment from New Zealand. It will take more than one government or one term of government for us to deliver on all of those obligations. That will be something that we need to hold very firmly to on both sides of the house," she said.

Walters confirmed that the FTA holds bipartisan support, with both the National Party and the Labour Party committed to its successful implementation.

"The most important thing for me as the Foreign Affairs spokesperson is to echo the Labour leaders' points that this government does have our full support in terms of the Free Trade Agreement going forward," she told ANI.

She noted that this is the beginning of a new phase in the relationship between India and New Zealand and the conversations will centre around the commitment.

"Well, I think again, this is the beginning of a new phase in the relationship between India and New Zealand. And I expect that the conversations will be about the commitment, both of the government and also the opposition, for the years ahead. So ensuring that the export market is facilitated and ensuring the investment provisions as well are facilitated and that New Zealand is mapping out how we will conduct that work and ensuring that the visas are within that broader framework of human rights protection and legal protections. It will really- I imagine it'll be a conversation about how we will operationalise the free trade agreement," she said.

Walters highlighted that the signing of the FTA is merely the beginning of a 15-year horizon focused on economic integration and market access. She emphasised that the upcoming period will be dedicated to operationalising the agreement and supporting exporters on the ground.

"I do feel that the most important work is yet to come. So we've now made these commitments to one another and we have a 15-year horizon ahead of us where really we're looking forward to supporting our exporters so they can build those relationships on the ground. I think the agreement also provides an opportunity to grow our person-to-person contact and so we have encouraged those visas, which we'll have in the student and workers' rights space. Because we're a Labour Party, our chief concern is often the treatment, the fair treatment of workers. And so that is really why we asked the government to include special measures to ensure that the workers coming from India to New Zealand have their legal rights protected as well," she said.

She added that the partnership is expected to facilitate growth in investment and export sectors, requiring sustained commitment across political cycles.

A central theme of the Labour Party's engagement is the emphasis on fair treatment for workers and students moving between the two nations. Walters underscored that her party requested the inclusion of specific measures within the broader framework to ensure legal protections for Indian workers in New Zealand.

"Because we're a Labour Party, our chief concern is often the fair treatment of workers. That is really why we asked the government to include special measures to ensure that the workers coming from India to New Zealand have their legal rights protected," she explained.

Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to meet with New Zealand's political leadership, including Walters and the Leader of the Opposition, on Saturday. Walters described the upcoming meetings as the start of a "new phase" in the relationship.

"I expect the conversations will be about the commitment, both of the government and the opposition, for the years ahead," she said, reaffirming that the cross-party consensus ensures stability for businesses and investors looking to bridge the two markets.

Looking ahead, Walters also confirmed her intent to visit India in November, following the upcoming New Zealand elections, to further cement these diplomatic and economic ties.

"India is an extremely important partner, and both the National Party and Labour Party have agreed. The Labour Party offered our support for the signing of the India FTA and for myself as the Foreign Affairs spokesperson, it would be a high priority to ensure that we build on that partnership and I'm looking forward to visiting India hopefully very soon after the election in November," she said.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi emplaned for Auckland from Melbourne for the final leg of his 3-nation visit. (ANI)