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New Zealand's Sky Tower Lit in Tricolour as PM Modi Begins Historic Visit

Published on: 11 Jul 2026, 02:07 AM

New Zealand’s iconic Sky Tower in Auckland was illuminated in the colours of the Indian national flag on Wednesday to mark the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The gesture, shared by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on social media, symbolises the friendship between the two countries.

This is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to New Zealand in four decades. PM Modi, upon landing in Auckland, described the visit as “historic” and thanked his New Zealand counterpart, Christopher Luxon, for the warm welcome at the airport.

“Reached Auckland a short while ago. Thankful to Prime Minister Luxon for the welcome at the airport. This visit is historic, being the first Prime Ministerial visit to New Zealand in four decades,” PM Modi wrote on X.

He expressed optimism about his scheduled talks with PM Luxon, which will cover the full range of India-New Zealand bilateral relations. He also confirmed that he will address a community programme in Auckland on Thursday.

The visit comes after the signing of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and New Zealand in April 2025. The agreement is expected to boost trade and economic ties. The two leaders had previously held bilateral meetings in New Delhi on March 17, 2025, during PM Luxon’s official visit to India.

Before arriving in Auckland, PM Modi concluded a successful visit to Australia, where he participated in the third Australia-India Annual Leaders’ Summit alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The summit, held in Melbourne, marked a significant milestone in the six-year Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Australia.

During the Australia visit, a series of agreements were signed focusing on reinforcing the Indo-Pacific security architecture, securing critical mineral supply chains, and accelerating the transition to clean energy.

PM Modi’s visit to New Zealand is expected to further strengthen bilateral ties and generate momentum in trade and diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Source: NDTV

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