7 November 2024

Mahuta on way to India to reconnect, promote New Zealand

New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta is departing for India today (6 February) to advance New Zealand’s relationship with India. This five-day trip is part of the strategy to continue to reconnect Aotearoa New Zealand to the world. 

The visit will begin in New Delhi where the Foreign Minister will meet with the Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankar and her Indian Government counterparts, External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar and Tribal Affairs Minister, Arjun Munda. She will also travel to Mumbai to promote New Zealand’s education, trade, and tourism interests in India’s commercial and industrial capital.

Nanaia Mahuta with Jaishankar, India's External Minister
Mahuta met Jaishankar, India’s External Minister in Oct 2022

“Reconnecting New Zealand remains a key priority as we look to strengthen our economic resilience and progress ties with our international partners,” Nanaia Mahuta said before leaving for India.

“Aotearoa New Zealand and India have an energetic and vibrant relationship. We share strong people-to-people links with more than 240,000 people of Indian descent calling New Zealand home.

“We also share ambitious goals between our countries and I will be reinforcing our commitment to supporting closer private sector collaboration and improved air services. The visit will also provide an opportunity to progress indigenous engagement, following initial discussions by Minister Whaitiri during her visit last year.”

In October last, India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar paid a visit to New Zealand and had a meeting with Mahuta and other dignitaries.

Among other meetings planned, Nanaia Mahuta is scheduled to meet with the Chair of the India New Zealand Business Council and host a roundtable with NZTE representatives. “These discussions will allow me to underline our strategy for lifting our bilateral commercial and economic ties,” she said.

NZ's trade with India
NZ hopes to advance trade with India (source: StatsNZ)

Both New Zealand and India are keen to work together on various issues, including regional Pacific region security.

“New Zealand sees India as a core and influential partner in the Indo-Pacific and…both of our countries value each other’s perspectives on the Pacific region and we will discuss opportunities to work together in climate change and our views on regional security.

“When Minister Jaishankar visited Aotearoa New Zealand last year, we both agreed that the relationship was ready for its next phase. I look forward to building on this momentum and sharing our progress to join the International Solar Alliance, which India and France established in 2015 to promote solar energy cooperation and climate action globally,” Nanaia Mahuta said.

Mahuta returns to New Zealand on Sunday, 12 February. 

Nanaia Mahuta was first elected to the Parliament in 1996 at age 26 and in the 2020 Labour Government, she became the first woman (and the first indigenous Maori woman) to be appointed New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister.

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