India and New Zealand advance defence ties in Wellington

India and New Zealand held the 2nd Defence Strategic Dialogue in Wellington to advance bilateral cooperation. Co-chaired by Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary at India’s Ministry of Defence, and Richard Schmidt, Deputy Secretary at New Zealand’s Ministry of Defence, the talks focused on maritime security, joint training, and defence cooperation.

The dialogue serves to further the objectives of the Roadmap 2030, a shared framework established earlier this year. This roadmap follows a July visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to New Zealand, where he met with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to elevate ties to a Strategic Partnership. The partnership aims to expand cooperation across various sectors, including trade, technology, investment, agriculture, healthcare, and education.