Trade Minister Todd McClay landed in Delhi on July 25 on a surprise visit within just days of meeting his Indian counterpart in Italy.
McClay’s impromptu stopover in India while returning home from the G7 meeting of trade ministers signals a heightened tempo in the government’s efforts to build stronger bilateral relations.
“The government is very committed to the Indian relationship,” McClay told The Indian Weekender on Thursday soon after meeting counterpart Piyush Goyal for the fifth time in eight months.
“I stopped by for a surprise visit and working dinner on my way back from the G7 to deepen the relationship and continue conversations on how to build trade between our two countries.”
McClay said he is looking forward to heading back to India in a few weeks for a “more in depth visit.
The minister met Piyush Goyal in Rome a few days back on the sidelines of the G7 meeting of trade ministers.
“As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen ties, Mr Goyal extended an invitation to McClay for further agriculture and trade-related meetings in India, which McClay will attend in August,” said an official at McClay’s office.
“This visit is expected to build on the momentum generated at the G7 meeting and pave the way for deeper economic collaboration between New Zealand and India.”
Trade outlook between the two countries has been bullish ever since Prime Minister Christopher Luxon took charge last year in an election pitch that was high on amping up relations with India.
Luxon is expected to visit India in October this year, the first time since 2016 a New Zealand prime minister will travel to the south Asian giant.
McClay said he congratulated Goyal on his recent electoral victory and on his reappointment as the commerce and trade minister in the Modi government.
"Minister Goyal and I have developed a strong friendship and have committed to working closely together on behalf of our respective countries," McClay said.
The discussions focused on increasing trade by reducing barriers and facilitating easier business interactions between Indian and Kiwi enterprises, he added.
Key areas for cooperation were identified, including agriculture and food production. New Zealand offered to collaborate with Indian producers and farmers to enhance productivity and profitability through innovation. In return, India expressed support for New Zealand's burgeoning IT sector.
"We also discussed progress towards formalising trade rules between our two countries," McClay said, pointing to the importance of structured agreements in fostering bilateral trade.
Christopher Luxon’s government has shown “real ambition” to shore up relations with India even though specifics remain sketchy, according to a top foreign relations analyst.
“We have seen the current government come in with real ambition and a very, very high tempo of engagement across Asia,” says Suzannah Jessep, the chief executive of the Asia New Zealand Foundation, the think-tank at the forefront of Aotearoa’s relations with Asian countries.
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