Auckland [New Zealand], July 10 (ANI): As Prime Minister Narendra Modi commenced his historic visit to New Zealand, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in four decades, members of the Indian diaspora welcomed him with resplendent cultural performances, reflecting the close connection with India despite the physical distance between the two partner nations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnessed a vibrant celebration of India's rich cultural heritage during the community welcome in Auckland on Friday evening.

In a post on X, the PM underlined how the performances showcased the cultures of Punjab, Tamil Nadu, a fusion of Carnatic and Hindustani classical music and a stirring rendition of Vande Mataram.

He praised the community and said, 'I compliment our diaspora for keeping India's cultural heritage vibrant across generations and continents and for strengthening the enduring people-to-people bonds between India and New Zealand.'

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In another post on X, he lauded the musical performance by the Naad Vocal Ensemble and underlined how music has the unique ability to bring people together.

'Today's performance beautifully reflected the warmth and depth of India-New Zealand friendship,' he added.

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He expressed deep gratitude to the Indian community and underlined how their jubilant enthusiasm was palpable upon his arrival.

'The love and affection of the New Zealand's Indian community touched me deeply. They have waited four decades for the visit of an Indian Prime Minister and their extraordinary enthusiasm and warmth were visible today. Their bond with India remains unwavering,' PM Modi said in a post on X.

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According to the Ministry of External Affairs, as of January 2026, New Zealand comprises of 1,43,000 persons of Indian origin, 1,57,000 NRIs taking the total overseas Indian population to 3,00,000.

New Zealand's iconic Sky Tower was lit in the colours of India's national flag as Prime Minister Modi began his historic visit to the country- the first by an Indian Prime Minister in last four decades.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal shared the visuals of the Sky Tower in a post on X and underlined that the gesture symbolised the bonhomie between the two partners.

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Upon arrival, he was welcomed by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

Prior to PM Modi's visit, the Kiwi Prime Minister in a post on X stated that New Zealand businesses are set to boom with the trade deal between the two countries.

'57% of everything we export to India will be tariff free from day on,' he added.

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In Auckland, Prime Minister will hold bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Luxon and review the entire gamut of the bilateral relationship, which has seen significant progress in the last two years, especially in the areas of trade and commerce and defence, as per a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs.

While in Auckland, Prime Minister Modi will also interact with prominent business and sports personalities. In a reflection of the strong people-to-people ties that exist between India and New Zealand, Prime Minister will address a large gathering of the Indian Diaspora during the visit, MEA further said.

After the signing of Free Trade Agreement in April this year, the visit of Prime Minister Modi is expected to work as a catalyst and generate momentum in trade and bilateral relations.

Both the PMs had held bilateral meeting in New Delhi on March 17, 2025 during the official visit of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to India.

Prime Minister Modi's visit to New Zealand comes after successfully concluding the visits to Australia and Indonesia- reflecting New Delhi's continued momentum in deepening ties across the Indo-Pacific and seeing the Act East Policy in action.

Signficantly, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in a post on X reshared the arrival video of PM Modi to New Zealand and said, 'Wishing for the friendship and progress of both India and New Zealand' in Korean, English and Hindi.

Prime Minister Modi thanked him for the kind wishes and said, 'Such thoughtful messages from friends are always cherished.'

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Earlier on Friday, while in Australia, Prime Minister Modi visited the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground Stadium with his counterpart, Anthony Albanese and unveiled the Roadmap on Sport Cooperation, aimed at strengthening sporting ties between Australia and India.

The high-level engagements delivered substantial geopolitical dividends. PM Modi's visit saw India and Australia announce deeper cooperation in areas including uranium exports, renewable energy, critical minerals and green hydrogen.

In what is being viewed as a major strategic milestone within these sectors, Australia and India reached an agreement to allow Australian uranium exports to India for peaceful nuclear energy use.

While in Indonesia, civilizational ties complemented present-day cooperation during the Prime Minister's visit to the country. Apart from reviewing the full spectrum of the bilateral ties, India and Indonesia on Tuesday signed some significant agreements, including for the supply of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and ASTRA beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles, as the two countries reaffirmed their commitment towards a free, open, transparent, rules-based, peaceful, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. (ANI)