Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with New Zealand Prime Minister John Key in New Delhi
New Delhi: India and New Zealand today decided to further strengthen the bilateral defense and security ties, especially in the maritime domain.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his visiting Kiwi counterpart John Key underlined that India and New Zealand are both maritime nations with a strong interest in the Asia-Pacific and Indo-Pacific regions being stable and prosperous, by ensuring the safety and security of sea lanes and freedom of navigation.
They decided to explore prospects for information sharing in support of our mutual interests in maritime security.
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A joint statement issued at the end of the meeting said both leaders also agreed to undertake defense education exchanges, by placing Indian and New Zealand defense personnel on each others defense courses and staff colleges.
They also decided to encourage naval ship visits to each other's ports, with the next visit of an Indian vessel to coincide with the Royal New Zealand Navy 75th anniversary commemorations next month.
The two Prime Ministers commemorated the shared history of the sacrifice of New Zealand and Indian servicemen and servicewomen, who had fought and served alongside one another around the world over the past century.
They observed that ongoing commemorations of the centenary of World War I was a reminder of this shared history of service and sacrifice.
