‘Emerging Geopolitical Giant’: New Zealand Deputy PM Highlights Defence, Security, And Trade Ties With India
Last Updated on May 31, 2025 9:14 pm
New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, has underscored India’s emergence as a “geopolitical giant” and a vital security actor in the Indo-Pacific region, highlighting the deepening partnership between New Zealand and India across defence, security, and trade.
Speaking at the Ananta Aspen Centre in New Delhi, Peters emphasised that in an increasingly multi-polar world, India’s strategic significance is undeniable, both regionally and globally. He pointed to the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Air New Zealand and Air India, which aims to explore codeshare agreements across 16 routes spanning India, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand. This agreement is expected to significantly ease travel, boost tourism, facilitate educational exchanges, and strengthen business links between the two countries.
Peters noted that while the partnership is advancing on the economic front, it is also expanding rapidly in the realm of defence and security—a growing priority for New Zealand in the Indo-Pacific. Both nations have taken deliberate steps to build closer defence ties, most notably through a recently signed defence cooperation arrangement that paves the way for greater collaboration between their armed forces.
This arrangement is expected to open up new areas of joint activity, including military exercises, staff college exchanges, regular port calls by naval ships, and high-level defence delegations. The cooperation is further exemplified by their joint participation in Combined Task Force 150, a multinational naval force based in Bahrain tasked with securing vital trade routes and countering terrorism, smuggling, and piracy in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman.
Notably, the Indian Navy serves as deputy commander of the task force during New Zealand’s leadership, a strong signal of their growing strategic alignment. The task force has already disrupted over USD 600 million worth of illegal drug trade, underscoring the real-world impact of this collaboration.
Despite India’s vast economic scale, it remains New Zealand’s 12th largest trade partner, accounting for only 1.5 per cent of New Zealand’s exports. Peters expressed New Zealand’s determination to change this, highlighting the country’s world-class strengths in food and beverage products, agriculture, forestry, horticulture, education, and tourism.
He also mentioned New Zealand’s innovation in areas such as outer space and renewable energy, which he believes will find a welcome partner in India. Peters specifically pointed to the potential for New Zealand to support India in meeting its growing food demands, estimating that India will need 35 per cent more food in the next 35 years. He framed New Zealand not as an opponent but as a serious partner capable of contributing to India’s food security.
Peters commended the stability and continuity in the Indian government, noting that it has facilitated more effective communication and cooperation between the two nations. He appreciated the consistency in India’s leadership, particularly his long-standing working relationship with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and highlighted the benefits of not having to “start all over again” with new counterparts. During his two-day official visit, Peters also met with Union Minister JP Nadda, further reinforcing the commitment to strengthening bilateral ties.
New Zealand’s leadership is committed to deepening its partnership with India, recognizing India’s strategic importance and the vast untapped potential for collaboration in trade, defence, and security. The recent agreements and ongoing initiatives reflect a shared vision for a stable, rules-based, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, with both countries poised to play a significant role in shaping the region’s future.
Based On ANI Report