NZ - India relations strengthened by visit

Prime Minister John Key has welcomed Rahul Gandhi to New Zealand today, saying the longstanding and friendly ties between the two countries have taken another step forward with his visit.

Rahul Gandhi, the great-grandson of India's first Prime Minister Nehru, is a member of parliament in India and is visiting New Zealand as the inaugural Sir Edmund Hillary Fellow.

The Sir Edmund Hillary Fellowship is a tribute to the special contribution made by Sir Edmund Hillary to New Zealand's bilateral relationships with India and Nepal.  Its aim is to build a constituency for New Zealand among the emerging leaders of India and Nepal. 

Mr Key says, "India is a priority relationship for New Zealand.  Its leading position in the region and internationally, and its economic significance, makes it strategically important to New Zealand."

Mr Key and Mr Gandhi will discuss the relationship in key areas, including the prospect of a bilateral free trade agreement.

India is one of New Zealand's fastest growing markets, with New Zealand exports having tripled over the last decade.  The start of negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement negotiations was recently announced, a move that offers significant opportunities for businesses in both countries.

Mr Gandhi, who is visiting New Zealand for the first time, will see New Zealand innovations in the high-tech dairy and livestock industries, visit adventure tourism operations, and be shown the special features of New Zealand's educational, science and research institutions.