By Vishu Adhana

Wellington [New Zealand], July 9 (ANI): New Zealand Member of Parliament Parmjeet Kaur Parmar on Thursday (local time) called the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between New Zealand and India a 'historic achievement', adding that it will drive massive economic gains for businesses, producers, and consumers on both sides.

Speaking with ANI ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit, Parmar dismissed domestic scepticism surrounding the trade pact, drawing parallels to the initial resistance faced during Wellington's landmark trade deal with Beijing.

'It is definitely a historic achievement, which I personally am very proud of,' Parmar stated regarding the upcoming trade framework, adding, 'Yes, there will be some people who will be against it, but this is nothing new. In our previous free trade agreements, like when we had our free trade agreement with China, there were some people against that too.'

The lawmaker further emphasised that the interest of commercial enterprises remains the absolute priority for the government, asserting that the trade pact is a clear win-win scenario for both economies.

'For us, the interest of our businesses is really important because everybody is only going to gain from this free trade agreement. Consumers are going to benefit, producers are going to benefit, and that is only going to be a good thing for New Zealand and for India,' Parmar added.

The upcoming visit by Prime Minister Modi is being viewed as a critical catalyst to fast-track the bilateral trade negotiations, which are currently moving through Wellington's legislative channels.

'At the moment, it's going through our parliamentary process here. But PM Modi's visit is definitely adding that momentum we needed,' the MP noted.

Highlighting the deep cultural ties underpinning the diplomatic push, Parmar, who made history in 2014 as the first Indian-born Member of Parliament in New Zealand, pointed out that the vibrant Indian diaspora is highly enthusiastic about the Indian Prime Minister's arrival.

'The Indian diaspora here is really excited about Prime Minister Modi's visit. We know that our relationship is built on democratic values and people-to-people connections,' Parmar said. 'As someone who is of Indian origin, who was born in India, and now lives here in New Zealand, I see that there is enormous potential for our relationship to be taken to the next level so that people on both sides can benefit from this.'

The statement underscores a concerted push by New Zealand lawmakers to expand their strategic footprint in South Asia, leveraging diaspora connections and democratic alignments to secure a robust, comprehensive economic partnership with New Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on an official visit to New Zealand on Friday at the invitation of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, a visit that comes on the heels of a newly finalised Free Trade Agreement (FTA) designed to reinvigorate bilateral commercial ties amid recent moderation in merchandise trade. (ANI)