MoS External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh visits NZ, holds talks to strengthen ties

New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) Minister of State for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh visited New Zealand from September 24-29 during which he participated in the 1st India Business Summit and deliberated with the leadership of that country on strengthening bilateral ties.

This was the first official visit of the MoS to New Zealand, a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Saturday.

?During the visit, Singh and New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins participated in the 1st India Business Summit 2023 co-organised by the High Commission of India in Wellington and the Auckland Chamber of Commerce.

The minister shared his views on India’s economic growth and boosting India-New Zealand relations.?

?MoS Singh also held bilateral meetings with Priyanca Radhakrishnan, Minister of Ethnic Community and Voluntary sector and Jan Tinetti, Minister of Education.

Both sides discussed a range of issues on bilateral cooperation and acknowledged that increased high level engagements in the past year have led to positive momentum in the relations, the MEA said.

The possibilities for furthering cooperation in the education sector as well as welfare of Indian students were also discussed.

Singh also held interactions with academia as well as think tanks and called for enhancing cooperation among academic institutions, the statement said.

He also interacted with Indian students and members of the Indian diaspora and appreciated their contributions in strengthening business, cultural and people-to-people ties between India and New Zealand.