Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand Winston Peters, currently on an official visit to India, participated in a prayer ceremony at the Akshardham Temple on Monday. Peters was warmly welcomed by Vishwavihari Swami (Kothari Swamiji), who presented him with traditional garlands.
During his visit, Peters toured the Akshardham Temple model room to gain insights into the community's practices and principles. He also received information about the temple and its activities.
Peters further explored the Neelkanth Varni Abhishek Mandap and took part in worship rituals at the temple, expressing admiration for its spiritual ambience.
Immersing himself in the experience, Peters conducted prayers and took a comprehensive tour of the entire premises, including the gardens. He arrived in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on Sunday night for his official visit.
On Monday, Peters met with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar before traveling to New Delhi in the evening.
Minister Peters also gifted the Chief Minister a cricket bat signed by black caps captain Kane Williamson, who plays in IPL for for the Gujarat Titans.
The Foreign Minister in Delhi and pictured with Paramita Tripathi, Joint Secretary (Oceania) in the India Ministry of External Affairs.
India and New Zealand share warm and friendly relations based on democratic traditions and shared values, along with strong people-to-people ties. The two countries cooperate across various areas, including trade and economy, defence and security, education and research, and environment and climate change.
Bilateral relations between India and New Zealand were established in 1952. New Zealand has identified India as a priority country in its "Opening Doors to India" policy, which was notified in October 2011 and reiterated in 2015.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a press release earlier that Winston Peters will visit India from March 10 to 13 at the invitation of External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar.