The Ministry of External Affairs of India has announced the official visit of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to India next week. Luxon will be on a five-day visit to New Delhi at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While India and New Zealand share a warm bilateral relationship, this visit holds significance amid changing geopolitics, especially with US President Donald Trump’s return to power and the need for a free trade agreement. PM Narendra Modi had extended an invitation to PM Luxon in October last year on the sidelines of the ASEAN-India Summit in Vientiane, Laos.
Importance Of Visit: India’s Perspective
According to the MEA, PM Luxon will be in India between March 16-20 March 2025. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Ministers, senior officials, businesses, media and members of the Indian diaspora community in New Zealand.
“During his visit, Prime Minister Rt Hon Luxon will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 17 March 2025 covering various aspects of India-New Zealand relations. Prime Minister Modi will host a lunch in honour of the visiting dignitary….Prime Minister Rt Hon Luxon’s visit underscores the longstanding and enduring ties between India and New Zealand. It reaffirms the continued commitment of both countries to further strengthen the bilateral relationship across all sectors and deepen our close people-to-people ties,” said the MEA.
India and New Zealand have been discussing a Free Trade Agreement as well. New Zealand’s Trade Minister Todd McClay was in India three times last year to push for the FTA.
The Chinese Threat
New Zealand’s Prime Minister is visiting at a time when the country is looking to expand its global partnerships and strengthen ties with the world’s fifth-largest economy, amid rising concerns over China. Last week, Andrew Hampton, New Zealand’s chief intelligence official, voiced apprehensions about China’s increasing influence in the Pacific region. He specifically pointed to the Cook Islands, a self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand, where Prime Minister Mark Brown signed agreements with China in February 2025. These agreements, covering sectors such as education, economy, infrastructure, fisheries, disaster management, and seabed mining, have raised concerns in Wellington.