Wellington, New Zealand, Aug 2026 : India and New Zealand have stepped up efforts to strengthen their defence partnership, with maritime security, joint training and broader defence cooperation emerging as key areas of discussion during the 2nd India-New Zealand Defence Strategic Dialogue in Wellington.
The dialogue was co-chaired by Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary in India’s Ministry of Defence, and Richard Schmidt, Deputy Secretary at the New Zealand Ministry of Defence. The meeting provided an opportunity for both sides to review existing defence cooperation and identify areas for deeper engagement.
The Directorate of Public Relations, Ministry of Defence, said in a post on X that the discussions focused on advancing maritime security, joint training and defence cooperation while also taking forward the objectives of the India-New Zealand Strategic Partnership Roadmap 2030.
The Roadmap 2030 was announced earlier this year during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to New Zealand in July. Modi and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon agreed to establish the roadmap as a shared framework to guide bilateral cooperation and strengthen strategic ties over the next four years.
A major component of the roadmap is expanding military-to-military engagement between the two countries. India and New Zealand have agreed to continue cooperation through joint exercises, visits by maritime, air and land units, short-term personnel exchanges and sporting interactions.
The two countries are also looking to strengthen institutional links through defence staff college exchanges and regular high-level defence dialogues. Such initiatives are expected to enhance mutual understanding, interoperability and professional cooperation between their armed forces.
Maritime cooperation remains an important priority, given the strategic significance of the Indo-Pacific and the two countries’ shared interest in maintaining a free, open and secure maritime environment. Both sides have agreed to pursue greater cooperation on maritime issues and expand dialogue on defence matters, including at the ministerial level.
The roadmap also places emphasis on cooperation against terrorism. India and New Zealand have agreed to operationalise a Memorandum of Arrangement establishing a Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism, providing an institutional mechanism for closer coordination on shared security concerns.
Cybersecurity is another emerging area of bilateral cooperation. The two countries have committed to engaging on common cyber priorities through the India-New Zealand Cyber Dialogue, reflecting the growing importance of digital security in national defence and strategic planning.
Beyond defence, the two sides are working towards formalising agreements on combating the trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals. Cooperation between India’s National Investigation Agency and the New Zealand Police on law enforcement matters is also being pursued.
The latest dialogue underscores the expanding strategic partnership between India and New Zealand and reflects both countries’ efforts to build stronger security, defence and institutional ties across the Indo-Pacific.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
