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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (local time) was accorded a Guard of Honour during his ceremonial welcome at the Government House in New Zealand's Auckland.
PM Modi will later hold bilateral talks with his Kiwi counterpart, Christopher Luxon. He will also review the entire gamut of the bilateral relationship, which has seen significant progress in the last two years, especially in the areas of trade and commerce and defence, as per a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs. The Prime Minister will also interact with prominent business and sports personalities. In a reflection of the strong people-to-people ties that exist between India and New Zealand, Prime Minister will address a large gathering of the Indian Diaspora during the visit, as per MEA. On Friday, PM Modi called his visit to New Zealand "historic" shortly after arriving in Auckland. In a post on X, PM Modi thanked New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon for welcoming him at the airport and highlighted that his visit is the first Indian Prime Ministerial visit to the nation in four decades. "Reached Auckland a short while ago. Thankful to Prime Minister Luxon for the welcome at the airport. This visit is historic, being the first Prime Ministerial visit to New Zealand in four decades," he wrote. Sharing visuals from his welcome, PM Modi expressed optimism towards the scheduled talks with PM Luxon regarding the bilateral partnership between the two nations and the community address in Auckland. "Look forward to holding talks with Prime Minister Luxon and discussing the complete range of the India-NZ friendship. I will also be addressing a community programme tomorrow in Auckland," PM Modi wrote. Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Auckland on Friday. Upon his arrival, he was greeted by New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. The two leaders shared a warm embrace. PM Modi is visiting New Zealand at the invitation of Luxon. This is the first official visit of an Indian Prime Minister to New Zealand in four decades. After the signing of Free Trade Agreement in April this year, the visit of Prime Minister Modi is expected to work as a catalyst and generate momentum in trade and bilateral relations. Both the PMs earlier held bilateral meeting in New Delhi on March 17, 2025 during the official visit of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to India. Before arriving in Auckland, PM Modi concluded a highly successful visit to Australia during which he participated in the third Australia-India Annual Leaders' Summit along with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese. The visit marked a significant milestone in the two nations' six-year Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The meeting, hosted in Melbourne, resulted in a landmark suite of agreements focused on reinforcing the Indo-Pacific's security architecture, securing critical mineral supply chains, and accelerating the transition to clean energy. (ANI)
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