New Delhi: In a diplomatic mission, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters is all set to visit India on March 10. The visit includes key steps in Ahmedabad and New Delhi, with a focus on extended meetings with External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar.
In New Delhi, Peters will also be highlighting the shared interest of the two nations in helping the development of the Pacific islands region.
Recognising India's leadership role on the global stage, Peters said that his country is determined to build a "broader, deeper, mutually beneficial relationship" with the South Asian nation. After visiting India from March 10-13, he will visit Jakarta and Singapore before returning to New Zealand on Saturday, March 16.
“India is a country with which New Zealand can, should, and will be doing more. New Zealand recognised the regional leadership role that India plays, and is determined to build a broader, deeper, and mutually beneficial bond,” Peters said in a statement.
The minister will also visit Singapore, and Indonesia to reinvigorate New Zealand’s relations with South and South-East Asia.
The focus of the trip will be his extended meetings with Jaishankar, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, and, Singapore's Vivian Balakrishnan respectively.
“It will be a privilege to spend further time with three such experienced and accomplished Foreign Ministers whose views on the issues facing the world and the Indo-Pacific in particular carry considerable weight," Peters said.
"If New Zealand wishes to maximise and impact in the region, we need to up our game with all three- India, Indonesia, and Singapore,” he added.
Calling Gujarat "an engine of Indian economic growth" with significant connections to the Indian diaspora in New Zealand, a government release said that Peters will also meet Gujarat Chief Minister, Bhupendrabhai Patel.
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