New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon expressed confidence in the growing partnership between his nation and India. This comes ahead of Narendra Modi’s arrival in Auckland on Friday, marking the first such visit by an Indian leader in four decades.
In an interview, Luxon described economic, defence, security and people-to-people links as the core elements of the relationship. He placed these ties in the context of a global turning point, where power dynamics have shifted from established rules toward influence-based arrangements and from unified multilateral structures to competing poles.
Luxon noted changing positions by major powers, including an inward focus by the United States, efforts by China to expand regional sway, and Russia’s actions in Ukraine. He argued that smaller nations like New Zealand have long benefited from rule-based frameworks that ensure equal treatment regardless of size.
He stressed the need for New Zealand to collaborate with India and similar partners to reinforce such principles. Luxon also supported calls for updating international institutions to better include Global South nations.
On bilateral relations, he observed that the two countries share values despite geographic distance and should expand cooperation. Regarding immigration, Luxon viewed recent global trends as an opening for New Zealand to attract skilled individuals through its stable, English-speaking environment and quality education system.
He attributed the absence of strong anti-immigration sentiment at home to controlled, skills-focused policies that align inflows with economic needs and infrastructure capacity. Luxon has held office since 2023 and visited India last year. Modi is scheduled to arrive on July 10.
