The government has confirmed India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit New Zealand next week.
He will arrive in Auckland on Friday 10 July, and depart the following day.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the visit – Modi's first, and the first visit of an Indian prime minister to New Zealand in 40 years – was "historic".
"This visit is about celebrating a winning partnership between New Zealand and India – one that delivers for our people and supports greater prosperity and security for both our countries," Luxon said.
"We are taking the two countries' relationship to the next level with our New Zealand-India Free Trade Agreement, signed in April, which will deliver more jobs, higher exports and stronger economic growth for New Zealand."
Shri Narendra Modi has led India since 2014.
AFP
India's prime minister since 2014, Modi leads the Hindu nationalist right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party.
RNZ has been reporting preparations for him to visit New Zealand since at least the end of March.
That followed the conclusion of negotiations in December 2025 for a free trade deal signed by Trade Minister Todd McClay in New Delhi in late April.
Legislation supporting the deal passed its first reading in Parliament last week with Labour's support.
During that debate, Foreign Minister and NZ First leader Winston Peters – who criticised the deal within minutes of it being announced – claimed National was "covertly" approving changes to immigration settings that would discriminate against Indians.
However, McClay said Peters was spreading misinformation to get votes, and Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said Peters was breaking from usual processes in discussing changes in public before final decisions had been made.
Both parties have so far refused to release the briefing Peters claimed to be reading from when he made the claims in Parliament, which followed criticism from him and deputy Shane Jones that the deal would enable too much migration from India.
Jones' comments likening the deal to a "butter chicken tsunami" drew condemnation from Indians in New Zealand, and Luxon said they were "alarmist" but he stopped short of calling them racist.
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