'Doubling Trade by 2030, Boosting Maritime Ties': India–New Zealand Ink 10 MoUs During PM Modi’s Visit

India

and New Zealand, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, laid the roadmap for a Strategic Partnership to 2030, deciding to double bilateral trade with New Zealand to $7 billion (Rs 350,000 crore) by 2030, establishing a maritime security dialogue, among other agreements. In total, the two nations signed a total of 10 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) on Maritime Cooperation, mutual logistics support between the Indian Navy and the New Zealand Defense Force, establishing a joint working group on counter-terrorism, among others.

India-New Zealand Roadmap 2030

Under the Roadmap to 2030, the two countries agreed to "continue to pursue military interaction via exercises, visits of units (maritime, air, land), short-term personnel exchanges, sporting visits, defence staff college exchanges, and high-level defence dialogues" and "continue to enhance dialogue on defence-related matters, including at the Ministerial level."The roadmap also commits both sides to "continue to implement the 2025 India-New Zealand Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation and maintain regular, structured defence engagement at Defence Ministry and Service levels."It further provides for efforts to formalise cooperation on combating narcotics trafficking and strengthen law enforcement cooperation, including between India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the New Zealand Police.Echoing these commitments, the Joint Statement welcomed progress in defence ties, including "the implementation of the 2025 India-New Zealand Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation," and said the two Prime Ministers agreed to "maintain regular structured engagement at Defence Ministry and Service levels."The Joint Statement also highlighted cooperation under Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150) in 2025, with "New Zealand in command and India as Deputy Commander," supporting efforts to deter "narcotics smuggling, terrorism, and illicit maritime activity in the Middle East and the Western Indian Ocean."As part of the major security overhaul, both nations have agreed to establish an annual Maritime Security Dialogue led by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) of New Zealand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmykFdsqXAM

India-New Zealand To Establish Maritime Security Dialogue

The two countries also agreed to "establish an annual Maritime Security Dialogue" and "operationalise the Memorandum of Arrangement establishing a Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter-Terrorism," while enhancing cooperation through the India-New Zealand Cyber Dialogue.The joint statement further said India welcomed New Zealand's nomination of Maritime Security as its priority pillar under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, while both countries agreed to "establish an annual Maritime Security Dialogue to strengthen cooperation, coordination and information exchange."Furthermore, the two sides will immediately implement a recently agreed Maritime Cooperation Arrangement, an Implementing Arrangement on Cooperation in Matters of Hydrography and Nautical Cartography, and a Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement focused specifically on the maritime domain. Under this framework, both nations will routinely conduct naval activities, including bilateral naval exercises.A key pillar of the roadmap is maritime cooperation. India and New Zealand agreed to "implement the recently agreed Maritime Cooperation Arrangement, Implementing Arrangement on Cooperation in Matters of Hydrography and Nautical Cartography, and a Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement focused on the maritime domain" and to"conduct naval activities, including bilateral naval exercises, as part of the Maritime Cooperation Arrangement."

India, New Zealand To Come Together Against Counter Terrorism

The two Prime Ministers also reaffirmed their "shared commitment to strengthening cooperation on counter terrorism, cyber security, and related security challenges" and agreed to strengthen practical law enforcement cooperation to combat "transnational and organised crime, including illicit drug trafficking, financial crime, cyber-enabled crime, terrorism-related offences, people smuggling and trafficking in persons."In a bid to expand law enforcement and intelligence networking, India and New Zealand have resolved to work towards the formalisation of a Memorandum of Arrangement between the National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India and the New Zealand Police

Details on MoUs signed between India - New Zealand

1. Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Cooperation between the Ministry of Defence of India and the New Zealand Defence Force.
2. Implementation Arrangement concerning cooperation in matters of Hydrography and Nautical Cartography between India and New Zealand.
3. Arrangement concerning the provision of Mutual Logistics Support between the Indian Navy and the New Zealand Defence Force.
4. Arrangement on establishing a Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism between India and New Zealand.
5. Memorandum of Cooperation between the National Disaster Management Authority of India and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) of New Zealand.
6. Memorandum of Cooperation in the fields of Animal Husbandry and Dairying between the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying of India and the Ministry of Primary Industries of New Zealand.
7. Memorandum of Arrangement in the field of Tourism between the Ministry of Tourism of India and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment of New Zealand.
8. India-New Zealand Joint Action Plan on Sport.
9. Memorandum of Arrangement for development of National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC), Lothal at Gujarat between NMHC and New Zealand Maritime Museum.
10. Arrangement on Cultural Cooperation between Ministry of Culture of India and Ministry of Culture and Heritage of New Zealand.

With inputs from ANI