Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in New Zealand as the final leg of his three-nation tour, marking the first visit by an Indian premier to the island country in 40 years. The last such visit was by Rajiv Gandhi in 1986.

During his stay in Auckland, Modi is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, covering the full spectrum of ties including trade, commerce, and defense cooperation.

The visit follows the signing of a free trade agreement between India and New Zealand in April, which eliminates duties on 100% of Indian exports and cuts or removes tariffs on 95% of New Zealand's exports to India.

A day before Modi's arrival, Luxon announced that 57% of New Zealand's exports to India would be "tariff free from day one" and hailed the deal, writing on X: "New Zealand businesses are set to boom with our India Trade Deal."

Modi's tour, which also included stops in Indonesia and Australia, is seen as key to boosting New Delhi's Indo-Pacific strategy. In Australia, he signed pacts on critical minerals, defense, and agriculture, and unlocked the supply of Australian uranium to India.

Source: www.dw.com