New Zealand visit: Address to Indian community, emphasis on India-New Zealand relations and economic cooperation

During his visit to New Zealand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the Indian community in Auckland brought up his old memories. He said, after almost 40 years an Indian Prime Minister has visited New Zealand. The Prime Minister said that this is his first visit to New Zealand after becoming the Prime Minister. But about 25 to 30 years ago, when he was not a part of any government, he had the opportunity to come to this country.

In the presence of a large number of Indian expatriates in Auckland, the Prime Minister gave a detailed speech on the historical relations between India and New Zealand, economic cooperation, cultural connections and India’s development journey. He reiterated his commitment to take the relationship between the two countries to greater heights and said that the scope of cooperation between India and New Zealand will expand in the coming years.

Praising the role of the Indian community, the Prime Minister said that overseas Indians are playing an important bridging role in strengthening the relationship between India and New Zealand. He said that people of Indian origin not only contribute actively to the development of the places where they live but also remain connected with their cultural heritage.

In his speech, the Prime Minister referred to “Waka” – the Maori tradition of New Zealand – and described it as a symbol of the joint journey between India and New Zealand. He said, there is vast potential for cooperation between the two countries in various fields including commerce, education, innovation, agriculture, science and technology.

He expressed hope that the partnership between the two countries will further strengthen bilateral relations in the future and open up new economic and strategic opportunities.

Referring to the success of the Indian community living in New Zealand, the Prime Minister said that Indian-born citizens are making significant contributions in the fields of education, commerce, science, public life, sports and various professional fields. New Zealand has set an example of an inclusive society by embracing its people and diversity, which is a country’s greatest strength, he said. The Indian community has become an important part of the social and economic development of that country.

The Prime Minister also mentioned the people of Indian origin who have held leadership positions in various fields in New Zealand and praised their contribution in strengthening relations between the two countries.

Regarding India’s development, the Prime Minister said that despite being a country with a thousand years old civilization, India has quickly adopted modern technology and innovation. He said, along with preserving cultural heritage, India is giving equal importance to digital transformation, technological development and economic reforms. According to him, India’s development model is trying to establish a balance between tradition and modernity.

He also mentioned various initiatives of India related to women’s participation, rural development and sustainable agriculture. He also said that India is continuously improving its policy by learning from the successful experiences of different countries of the world.

Regarding India’s economic progress, the Prime Minister said, despite global economic challenges, India is among the fastest growing major economies in the world. He mentioned India’s success in digital payment system, mobile manufacturing, space programme, drone technology and innovation. He said, Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has made financial transactions easier and India is making a new identity at the global level in the field of digital economy. He also mentioned that environmental protection, natural agriculture and sustainable development are among India’s priorities.

The Prime Minister stressed the need to further strengthen economic cooperation between India and New Zealand. He said, there is vast potential for cooperation between the two countries in the fields of trade, investment, agriculture, food processing, education, startup, innovation and space. He expressed hope that future economic agreements will create new opportunities for industry and business of the two countries and will take bilateral trade further.

The Prime Minister also mentioned the sports relations between India and New Zealand and said that there is a long history of sports cooperation between the two countries. He highlighted the relationships developed through sports like hockey and cricket and stressed on increasing communication between people through sports. He also said that conservation of cultural heritage is a joint commitment of the two countries and India and New Zealand are moving forward in the path of modern development by respecting their respective traditions.