India-New Zealand Strategic Partnership Established with Comprehensive Roadmap
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official visit to Auckland on July 10-11, 2026, marked the first Indian Prime Ministerial visit to New Zealand in 40 years, resulting in the elevation of bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership. The leaders endorsed the 'India-New Zealand Strategic Partnership: Roadmap to 2030' as a framework to guide joint action over the next four years, aiming to strengthen existing cooperation mechanisms and explore new avenues for deepening cooperation both bilaterally and multilaterally.
Enhanced Political and Defense Cooperation
The Prime Ministers agreed to establish a regular Foreign Ministers' Dialogue and consolidate annual senior officials' meetings between India's Ministry of External Affairs and New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In defense cooperation, they welcomed progress in implementing the 2025 India-New Zealand Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation and agreed to maintain regular structured engagement at Defense Ministry and Service levels. New maritime cooperation arrangements were concluded, including a Maritime Cooperation Arrangement, an Implementing Arrangement on Cooperation in Matters of Hydrography and Nautical Cartography, and a Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement focused on the maritime domain. An annual Maritime Security Dialogue was established to strengthen cooperation, coordination and information exchange.
Trade and Economic Partnership with Ambitious Targets
The leaders set an aspirational goal of doubling bilateral two-way trade in goods and services to NZ$7 billion (approximately ₹35,000 crore) by 2030. They welcomed the conclusion and signature of a balanced, comprehensive and mutually beneficial India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and agreed to work together to ensure its early entry into force and effective implementation. The Agricultural Productivity Partnership under the FTA was recognized as a key platform for practical cooperation, including New Zealand's work with India on action plans to help lift productivity in kiwifruit, apples and honey. New Zealand is supporting the establishment of Centres of Excellence in kiwifruit in India.
Comprehensive Sectoral Cooperation Agreements
Multiple memorandums and arrangements were signed, including a Memorandum of Arrangement on Tourism, Memorandum of Cooperation on Animal Husbandry and Dairying, and continued dialogue on strengthening recognition of seafarer competency certificates between India's Directorate General of Shipping and Maritime New Zealand. The India-New Zealand Joint Action Plan on Sport provides a practical framework to strengthen bilateral sporting ties. Cultural cooperation initiatives include engagement on traditional medicine, an Arrangement on Cultural Cooperation, and a Memorandum of Arrangement between the National Maritime Heritage Complex, Lothal, India, and the New Zealand Maritime Museum.
Multilateral Alignment and Security Cooperation
New Zealand reaffirmed its support for India's permanent membership of a reformed and expanded United Nations Security Council. Both leaders expressed absolute condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, specifically condemning the terrorist attack in Pahalgam in Jammu & Kashmir on April 22, 2025, and the terror incident near Red Fort, New Delhi on November 10, 2025. They welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Arrangement on establishing a Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism for information and knowledge sharing. The leaders also expressed concern over renewed escalation of tensions in the Middle East and called for full restoration of freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Disaster Management and Climate Cooperation
A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the National Disaster Management Authority of India and the National Emergency Management Agency of New Zealand to strengthen bilateral cooperation in disaster risk reduction, preparedness, response, recovery, and resilience building. New Zealand joined the Global Biofuels Alliance, and both countries agreed to deepen cooperation through the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.