India and New Zealand reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening defence cooperation and deepening strategic ties during a series of high-level meetings in New Delhi on Monday.
Union Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth, held discussions with Kathleen Pearce, Head of the International Branch at New Zealand’s Ministry of Defence, and New Zealand High Commissioner Patrick John Rata. The meeting underscored the growing strategic alignment between the two nations.
Sharing details on X, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated, “Ms Kathleen Pearce, Head of International Branch, Ministry of Defence, New Zealand and Mr Patrick John Rata, NZ High Commissioner called on Raksha Rajya Mantri @SethSanjayMP today. The meeting reaffirmed strong defence ties and commitment to deepen cooperation across key strategic domains.”
Later the same day, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh also met Pearce and Rata. According to the MoD, “Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh met Ms Kathleen Pearce, Head of International Branch, Ministry of Defence, New Zealand and NZ High Commissioner Mr Patrick John Rata in New Delhi today. Both sides welcomed the launch of strategic dialogue and agreed to deepen #defenceties.”
These discussions come on the heels of the second round of negotiations for the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which concluded in New Delhi on July 25. The talks covered several crucial areas, including trade in goods and services, investment, rules of origin, customs procedures, and sanitary and phytosanitary measures.
According to the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, both countries expressed strong mutual interest in achieving early convergence on key issues and reiterated their goal of finalizing a comprehensive and forward-looking trade agreement.
India and New Zealand have historically enjoyed warm relations, underpinned by shared Commonwealth membership, democratic governance, and common legal traditions. These foundational similarities, along with a shared vision for regional stability and economic development, continue to provide a solid base for expanding bilateral cooperation across both strategic and economic domains.
