India And New Zealand Focus On Maritime Security, Defence Cooperation

India and New Zealand held their second Defence Strategic Dialogue in Wellington on August 24, focusing on maritime security, joint training and broader defence cooperation. Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary in India’s Ministry of Defence, and Richard Schmidt, Deputy Secretary at New Zealand’s Ministry of Defence, co-chaired the meeting. The discussions also focused on advancing the objectives outlined under the Roadmap 2030 for bilateral cooperation.

The Indian Ministry of Defence stated that the dialogue was aimed at strengthening cooperation in key areas of defence and security. Maritime security and joint training featured prominently in the discussions, alongside efforts to further deepen defence ties. The Indian delegation led by Prasad was welcomed by Muanpuii Saiawi, India’s High Commissioner to New Zealand, ahead of the talks in Wellington.

The defence dialogue comes amid increased high-level engagement between India and New Zealand. In July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited New Zealand and held talks with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Auckland. During the visit, the two countries agreed to elevate their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership, with both sides outlining plans to pursue greater cooperation across several sectors.

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Following his meeting with Luxon, Modi described the discussions as extensive and fruitful and noted that recent high-level exchanges had given additional momentum to bilateral relations. He said India and New Zealand would move ahead with clear goals and concrete outcomes, with cooperation extending beyond defence and security to areas including trade, technology and investment.

The two leaders also discussed expanding cooperation in agriculture, dairy and food processing, along with healthcare and traditional medicine. Modi noted that growing defence and security cooperation reflected the strategic trust between the two countries and indicated that India and New Zealand would continue building on this area of their relationship.

The latest Defence Strategic Dialogue provides a platform for officials from both countries to follow up on these broader strategic commitments. With maritime security and joint training identified as key areas, the talks are expected to contribute to closer defence engagement while supporting the wider objectives of the India-New Zealand Strategic Partnership and Roadmap 2030.

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