Auckland:
Modi was received at the airport by New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, with the two leaders sharing a warm embrace before official engagements.
Describing the visit as “historic” in a post on X, Modi thanked Luxon for the warm welcome and said he looked forward to discussions covering the full spectrum of India-New Zealand relations.
“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.
He added that he looked forward to holding talks with Luxon on the entire range of bilateral ties and addressing a community programme in Auckland.
In a symbolic gesture marking the visit, Auckland’s iconic Sky Tower was illuminated in the colours of the Indian national flag. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the lighting of the landmark reflected the friendship between the two countries.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Modi and Luxon will review the full spectrum of bilateral ties, which have witnessed significant progress over the past two years, particularly in trade, commerce and defence. The Prime Minister is also scheduled to interact with leading business and sports personalities and address a large gathering of the Indian diaspora, underscoring the strong people-to-people links between the two nations.
The visit comes just months after India and New Zealand signed a Free Trade Agreement in April and is expected to provide fresh momentum to trade and broader bilateral cooperation. The two leaders had previously met in New Delhi on March 17, 2025, during Luxon’s official visit to India.
Modi arrived in New Zealand after concluding a three-day visit to Australia, where he held the third Australia-India Annual Leaders’ Summit with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Melbourne.
The summit marked a major milestone in the six-year India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with both countries announcing a series of agreements aimed at strengthening Indo-Pacific security, securing critical mineral supply chains and accelerating the clean energy transition.
