Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi attended a special Gala luncheon event hosted by the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Rt Hon. Christopher, themed "India-New Zealand: A Winning Partnership". The event was attended by eminent personalities from the fields of politics, business, industry, academia, technology, sports, and the arts.
In his welcome remarks, Prime Minister Luxon highlighted the deep and enduring ties between India and New Zealand and outlined a shared vision for strengthening bilateral cooperation and advancing mutual prosperity. Prime Minister Modi noted the complementarities between the two countries and their enduring people-to-people ties.
He welcomed the elevation of the bilateral ties to the level of Strategic Partnership and expressed confidence that it would further deepen the ongoing collaboration. He stated that the India-New Zealand FTA concluded in record time would open new opportunities for the businesses, the youth and farmers in both countries and help achieve the target of doubling bilateral trade by 2030.
Following the Gala Lunch, Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Luxon did a walk-through of the innovative sports equipments that were displayed at the venue. They also interacted with decorated athletes from New Zealand and other stakeholders associated with high performance sports.
Recalling 100 years of sports engagement between the two sides, Prime Minister Modi noted that the Sports Joint Action Plan concluded during the visit would help the two countries expand ties beyond cricket. The visit was in keeping with the desire of both sides to expand sports cooperation, especially in the wake of India getting ready to host the Commonwealth Games 2030.