Venkat Raman March 16, 2025
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon landed at the Palam Airforce Station in New Delhi’s VIP terminal at about 2.30 pm (IST) (about 9.50 pm NZT) on his first State Visit to India.
He was received at the tarmac by India’s Minister of State of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Professor S P Singh Baghel, External Affairs Joint Secretary (Oceania) Paramita Tripathi, New Zealand’s High Commissioner to India Patrick Rata, Royal New Zealand Navy Captain and Defence Advisor to India Captain Andrew Dowling, India’s High Commissioner to New Zealand Neeta Bhushan, Chief of Protocol Anushman Gaur and others.
Mr Luxon inspected a Guard of Honour and a special cultural item performed by professional dancers accredited to the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.
He later drove to ITC Maurya where he and his official delegation will stay over the next two days.
Mr Luxon is being accompanied by Social Development Minister Louise Upston, Ethnic Communities Minister Mark Mitchell, officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office. A large business delegation as well as a community delegation are also present.
A media delegation is covering the visit.
Mr Luxon is later scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar Subrahmanyam.
Official Engagements
Mr Luxon’s official visit commences tomorrow (Monday) with a visit to Rajghat to pay his respects at Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial. This will be followed by meetings with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu and other engagements.
Mr Luxon will be the Chief Guest at the inaugural session of the 10th Raisina Dialogue. This is India’s flagship conference on Geopolitics and Geo-Economics, organised by the Observer Research Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs.
(More to Follow)
