PM Modi to visit Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand from July 6 to 11

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand from July 6 to 11 as India looks to deepen its engagement with the three countries, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.

The tour will begin in Indonesia, followed by Australia, where Modi's main engagements will take place in Melbourne. He will end the visit in New Zealand, in what the MEA described as a special leg of the trip as it will be the first visit by an Indian prime minister to the country in nearly 40 years.

Speaking to reporters, MEA Secretary (East) Rudrendra Tandon said Modi's visit to New Zealand would be significant for that reason. Earlier in the day, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon also announced that Modi would make his first official visit to the country next week.

"I'm delighted to announce Indian Prime Minister @narendramodi will make his first official visit to New Zealand next week," Luxon said in a social media post, without giving the exact date of the visit.

Describing India as one of the world's largest and fastest-growing economies, Luxon said the country was of enormous importance to New Zealand's economic prosperity. "We are taking the two countries' relationship to the next level with our New Zealand-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA), signed in April, which will deliver more jobs, higher exports and stronger economic growth for New Zealand," he said.

Luxon said the deal would unlock new opportunities by opening a market of 1.4 billion people for goods and services from New Zealand, "bringing more money into Kiwi communities, creating jobs and lifting wages".

India and New Zealand signed the FTA earlier this year to boost two-way trade in goods and services and promote investment.

PM Modi's three-nation visit will now take him from Indonesia to Australia and then to New Zealand, where a rare prime ministerial visit is set to add to the momentum in bilateral ties.

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