EAM S Jaishankar & Winston Peters Discuss UNSC Reforms

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a 'productive' meeting with New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister, Winston Peters, on Tuesday, discussing cooperation in Commonwealth and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reforms.

"Warm and productive meeting with DPM and FM @winstonpeters of New Zealand this evening. Agreed on enhancing our political, trade & economic, security, connectivity, mobility, education and people to people ties," EAM Jaishankar posted on X.

"Welcomed New Zealand joining @isolaralliance. Discussed cooperation in the Commonwealth and UNSC reform. Shared perspectives on the Indo-Pacific and global issues," he added.

New Zealand's Deputy PM Winston Peters arrived in New Delhi on Monday evening.The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement that he was on an official visit to India from March 10 to 13 at the invitation of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Winston Peters is on his first visit to India after the new government in New Zealand assumed office in November 2023. He had earlier visited India in February 2020, the MEA added.Commencing his visit, Winston Peters arrived in Gujarat's Ahmedabad on Sunday night.

On Monday, he met with the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel.India and New Zealand share warm and friendly relations based on the commonalities of democratic traditions and shared values bolstered by strong people-to-people ties.

The two countries are engaging in cooperation across a wide range of areas, including trade and economy, defence and security, education and research, and environment and climate change, the MEA release concluded.

Bilateral relations were established in 1952 between India and New Zealand. New Zealand has identified India as a priority country in its "Opening Doors to India" policy notified in October 2011, which was reiterated by New Zealand in 2015.