Ending his two-day India visit, New Zealand's Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters condemned the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack in strong words and reiterated New Zealand's unshakeable solidarity with the people of India.
During his Friday visit, Peters had a meeting with Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and BJP National President J P Nadda, during which they spoke about the democratic systems of the two countries and discussed potential areas for increasing bilateral cooperation, especially in the health sector.
Posting highlights of the meeting on X, Nadda penned, "Met with New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, in New Delhi as part of our 'Know BJP' initiative. In our interactive discussion, we discussed means to strengthen party-to-party relations. I briefed him on our party's ideology, organisational setup, and its contribution to India's development. Our interaction also aimed at deepening India-New Zealand ties.". Looking ahead to strengthening our cooperation for the common good of both countries.
This was Peters' third visit to India, having made earlier visits in February 2020 and March 2024 as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.
A Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement underscored that "India and New Zealand enjoy close and warm friendly ties based on mutual democratic values and growing cooperation across several sectors. This visit follows on from the official visit of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to India in March 2025 and indicates the increasing momentum in bilateral relations through frequent high-level interactions and shared commitment to strengthening this multi-faceted relationship."
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday had extensive bilateral discussions with Peters in various fields like trade, economy, defence, security, traditional medicine, sports, education, and people-to-people interactions. The two leaders also discussed regional and global issues of common interest, reiterating their collective commitment to a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
Posting on the meeting later, EAM Jaishankar tweeted on X, "Thank New Zealand for standing with us in solidarity and support on the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Following up on PM Christopher Luxon's recent visit, took stock of the way our partnership has progressed.
Agreed that in a more unstable and unpredictable world, it is crucial that India and New Zealand work closely together towards a rules-based, peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
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