New Zealand Deepens Security, Defence Ties with India Amid Global Uncertainty

New Zealand is stepping up its defence and security partnership with India amid growing global instability, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters said during a visit to New Delhi on May 30.

Speaking at an event hosted by the Ananta Aspen Centre, Peters said both countries share concerns about maritime security and emphasized the importance of freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific. A new Defence Cooperation Arrangement will enhance military collaboration between India and New Zealand, he noted.

Peters praised India as a "geopolitical giant" and stressed its role as an indispensable actor in regional and global security. He also highlighted increasing collaboration following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which New Zealand condemned. He noted that the New Zealand Navy is leading Combined Task Force 150, aimed at protecting trade routes and combating terrorism and piracy in the Indian Ocean.

Calling for more diplomacy and compromise, Peters underscored New Zealand’s foreign policy shift, which focuses more on South and Southeast Asia. “We need to talk with, not at, each other,” he said, adding that small states like New Zealand must also have a voice.

Peters met with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi to discuss democratic values and mutual interests. He described India as crucial for New Zealand’s maritime strategy and praised the ongoing negotiations for a Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), which he called a “breakthrough.”

This visit follows Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s March trip to India, underlining growing bilateral ties between the two democracies.