Describing India as an increasingly important nation, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Saturday said the partnership between the two sides has grown “much stronger” during his visit this week to the country.

Wrapping up his India trip, the Kiwi prime minister said he was delighted that negotiations on a comprehensive free trade agreement between India and New Zealand have now been launched.

Luxon and PM Narendra Modi held extensive talks on March 17 that saw the two sides firming up an ambitious pact to institutionalise bilateral defence ties and a resolve to boost cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

“India, the world’s most populous country, is an increasingly important partner for New Zealand. That partnership has grown much stronger during my visit this week,” Luxon said in a social media post.

In another post, he said: “It was a pleasure to visit India this week and spend time with Prime Minister @narendramodi to discuss ways to strengthen ties between our countries.”

India is one of the fastest-growing economies and on track to become the third largest in the world over the next 10 years, he added.

“Our Government is relentlessly focused on growing our economy so that all Kiwis can do better, and the launch of negotiations presents an opportunity to do exactly that,” Luxon said on ‘X’.

The New Zealand prime minister travelled to Mumbai after concluding his engagements in Delhi.

“New Zealand’s commitment to regional security has also been reinforced, with New Zealand and India announcing a new Defence Cooperation Arrangement,” Luxon added.

“On top of that, I and our business delegation focused on enhancing New Zealand’s presence in key sectors, including education, technology, tourism, investment, manufacturing, food and primary industries,” he said.

“Unlocking new business opportunities, 33 MOUs and other commercial outcomes were progressed on the mission, reflecting the growing partnerships between New Zealand and Indian businesses,” he said.