Inaugural India-New Zealand bilateral defence talks

06 Aug 2025

India and New Zealand have conducted their first bilateral defence talks in New Delhi this week.

The meeting was hosted by the Indian Government in New Delhi, with Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary International Cooperation from the Indian Ministry of Defence, and Kathleen Pearce, Head of International Branch from the New Zealand Ministry of Defence leading the Indian and New Zealand delegations, respectively.

This was an important first step in operationalising the Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation (the Defence Cooperation Arrangement) that was announced by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March.

This bilateral arrangement facilitates closer defence relations by establishing regular bilateral defence engagement, including through dialogue, and opening new areas for collaboration, such as deploying and training together.

The Indian and New Zealand delegations discussed their respective views on the geostrategic environment in the Indo-Pacific, and agreed to seek further opportunities for bilateral, and multilateral, defence activities. 

India and New Zealand have conducted their first bilateral defence talks in New Delhi this week.

The meeting was hosted by the Indian Government in New Delhi, with Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary International Cooperation from the Indian Ministry of Defence, and Kathleen Pearce, Head of International Branch from the New Zealand Ministry of Defence leading the Indian and New Zealand delegations, respectively.

This was an important first step in operationalising the Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation (the Defence Cooperation Arrangement) that was announced by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March.

This bilateral arrangement facilitates closer defence relations by establishing regular bilateral defence engagement, including through dialogue, and opening new areas for collaboration, such as deploying and training together.

The Indian and New Zealand delegations discussed their respective views on the geostrategic environment in the Indo-Pacific, and agreed to seek further opportunities for bilateral, and multilateral, defence activities.