Trade Minister McClay’s Unannounced Delhi Visit
Trade Minister Todd McClay arrived unannounced in Delhi on 25th today, just days after meeting his Indian counterpart in Italy. McClay's surprise visit to India on return from the G7 meeting of trade ministers underlines elevated efforts by the government to lift bilateral ties.
McClay is due to return to India in a few weeks for a follow-up over more detailed meetings this time. He only recently met Goyal in Rome at the G7 trade ministers’ meeting when the invitation was made for further agriculture and trade discussions in India during August, which McClay will attend.
This visit will renew the energy after the G7 meeting to create more vital economic collaboration between New Zealand and India. Schedules of trade relations have been quite optimistic since Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was sworn into office last year. There has been a key focus on strengthening ties with India. He is expected to visit India in October.
On his part, McClay congratulated Goyal for his recent election to the Lok Sabha elections and for his reappointment as the minister of commerce and trade in the Modi government. McClay said that their personal bond was strong, and both were committed to working even more closely in their ministerial capacities for their countries.
It was all about boosting the trade volume through liberalization and making it easier for businesses in India and New Zealand. Clearly outlined areas of cooperation between the two countries have been elaborated upon. New Zealand offered to work with Indian producers/farmers to increase the productivity and profitability of agriculture and food production by innovating ventures. For its part, India was keen to support the emergence of a new IT power in New Zealand.
