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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Saturday acknowledged that education, research, science and technology, and innovation are key aspects of the bilateral relationship, a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said.
They encouraged government officials, institutions and industry to scope and build partnerships in agriculture, climate, digital transformation, science, innovation and new and emerging technologies. The Prime Ministers recognised education as a central pillar of the relationship, underpinning people-to-people links, skills development, research collaboration and long-term economic partnership. They welcomed the growing connections between education institutions in both countries and agreed to strengthen cooperation in ways that support student mobility, institutional partnerships, innovation and mutual understanding. They reflected on progress in implementing the 2025 Education Cooperation Arrangement and acknowledged the engagements and new institutional partnerships developed since the signing. The Prime Ministers recognised the shared challenges of climate change and the transition to low-emissions and climate-resilient economies. They agreed to deepen cooperation through the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. Prime Minister Modi welcomed New Zealand joining the Global Biofuels Alliance, as per the statement. The Prime Ministers welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between the National Disaster Management Authority of India and the National Emergency Management Agency of New Zealand. They reaffirmed the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation in disaster risk reduction, preparedness, response, recovery, and resilience building, with a view to enhancing the resilience of communities, infrastructure, and institutions in both countries. The Prime Ministers looked forward to advancing research, innovation and practical solutions to support more sustainable, productive and climate-resilient agriculture and food systems. Meanwhile, addressing a special media briefing on PM Modi's official visit to New Zealand, Secretary (East) in the MEA, Rudrendra Tandon, said that visa decisions were a sovereign question concerned with New Zealand. "On visas, this is actually a question you need to address to the New Zealand side. That's a sovereign decision. In the sense that as long as our businesses can work, our students get to study, they get the exchanges as planned by the two sides are taking place. Visa decision and conferring visas is a sovereign decision that we can't really comment upon at this juncture," he said. (ANI)
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