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The South Asian region is generally considered to comprise India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. New Zealand does not have formal relations with Bhutan although there is some engagement in multilateral groupings such as the United Nations. Afghanistan is covered in the Middle East regional pages of this website.
The vision for the NZ Inc India Strategy is that by 2015 India will become a core trade, economic and political partner for New Zealand. More
From 26 to 30 June in 2011 Prime Minister John Key visited India.
Learn more about his visit in our NZ Inc India section or read the Joint Statement on the State Visit of Prime Minister of New Zealand [external link].
New Zealand’s relations with South Asia are dominated by our close relationship with India. India’s economy is growing spectacularly and it is having greater influence on world affairs, for example, in the United Nations and World Trade Organisation. India’s growing political and economic influence, supported by its ‘Look East’ foreign policy, has led to increasing interaction with New Zealand. India has become a priority relationship for New Zealand and recent years have seen an increase in contact and activity. The New Zealand Government has developed the inter-agency NZ Inc India strategy that envisages India being a core trade, economic and political partner for New Zealand by 2015.
The other principal consideration for New Zealand in South Asia is the potential for regional instability. Historically, South Asia has been affected by conflicts between countries of the region, by internal conflicts such as that in Sri Lanka and by the ongoing scourge of terrorism. This has ongoing implications for regional security. New Zealand works on these issues, particularly in multilateral groupings, to promote security, peace, democracy and respect for human rights.
Beyond India, New Zealand’s relationships with the countries of South Asia are generally friendly, although interaction is limited. We share long-standing links via the Commonwealth, a love of cricket, some trade, people-to-people links and – in the case of Nepal – admiration for Sir Edmund Hillary.
New Zealand and India began talks on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA, or Closer Economic Cooperation Agreement – CECA) in April 2010. Further information about the negotiations and updates on progress are available here.
New Zealand development assistance to South Asia is provided through the MFAT-administered New Zealand Aid Programme [external link].
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