Todd McClay: Trade Minister comments on Modi's visit, trade expectations set by FTA

Trade Minister Todd McClay's praising the success of the Indian Prime Minister's weekend visit. 

Narendra Modi swept through Auckland on Saturday off the back of our Free Trade Agreement, mapping out a path to 2030 with Prime Minister Chris Luxon.

Todd McClay told Mike Hosking that the meetings were positive, and the Government's fulfilled its promise of making a growth in Indian relations, a strategic priority. 

He says it shows strengthening connections beyond trade, including areas such as defence and security, and diplomatic cooperation. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So a lot of love in the rumors. The Modi
Express rolled through Auckland Saturday to sign up the FTA and,
as it turns out, upgrade the relationship to a strategic partnership.
Trade Minister Acting Foreign Mister Tom McLay with US Morning,
Good Morning. Is there a magnetism about him? Mody?

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Yes, yes, there certainly seems to be. I mean you
can see it on TV. But I've had a couple
of chances to meet him and talk to him now, NHG.
He is very very calm and very thoughtful, and I
can see why he's the longest serving prime minister India's head.
It was a very positive visit to New Zealand.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
Were you expecting the upgrade you must have been obviously, Well.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
We've been working through it and so the answer is yes.
There's a number of organizations and countries we've wanted to
do this, But Mike, it's a little bit like the
Free Trade Agreement, it's come quite quickly with India. It
was only three years ago we said we would make
the relationship with India strategic priority. So across the board,
this just shows that it is now more than trade,
areas of defense and security, you know, political diplomatic cooperation

(00:59):
of course, the trade people in culture. A really interesting
one is education, science, climate change and disaster management, you know,
areas where you know, we should be working with many
other countries offer we are we now get to with India.

Speaker 1 (01:11):
How does that materially actually work well.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
Two things. The first is the government to government level.
The two leaders have said this is a priority sent
our both sides, the government and the agency, start leaning
into it. There are a number of other relationship agreements
signed to back this up. You know, in my area
of the primary sector, you know, with veterinary medicine and things,
we've signed to cooperate in some areas it will be
officials or experts from either country visiting and getting to

(01:38):
know each other. In some case of the science things,
our university is working more closely together. So it really
just says that we are going to you know, we're
going to do much more together. And this is the
framework that sort of gives permission or a very strong
indication to the officials on both sides to start doing
the work.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
Not that it's not good for us, but he was
on a circuit the last I mean, he touched base
with us, he's in Australia. I think he's up in Indonesia.
Is he just doing this with everybody?

Speaker 2 (02:05):
Well, not everybody. I mean since he's been prominence, he's
visited one hundred countries, so he's keen to get out there.
But forty years since an Indian prime minister last visited.
So yes, he went to Australia and on to Indonesia.
But I suppose he didn't have to come to New Zealand.
You know, I think it's very clear if we hadn't
have worked so very hard together on the FDA, he
probably wouldn't have come here. And so now I think

(02:26):
only good things come as a relation. As a result,
it was clear to me that he enjoyed New Zealand
and all that was a short visit, you know, it
was really a celebration. He was a very very good
space and in a very very good mood. So he's
gone away with a positive impression with us, which again,
you know, it can't be a bad thing. It's a
very good thing.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
Indeed, it is on the strategic side of things when
it comes to defense, whose side are they on? China's
are out? Where do they sit there?

Speaker 2 (02:53):
Yeah? So they probably sit in the middle a little bit.
They look out for what's best for India as largely
in many cases with our independent foreign policy, we do
as well. What this means is just there'll be areas
that we cooperate. So we've already had a few military
officials from either direction come and start talking there. There
will be opportunities for some of our ships from the

(03:13):
Navy to two different things together. There are parts of
the world you know that we already have personnel there together,
albeit not in full cooperation. So ultimately, you know, it's
just another step in the direction of building the relationship further.

Speaker 1 (03:27):
I still know there was this bitching over the twenty
billion over the weekend. All I know about FTAs is
that they do better than we ever thought possible. And
this isn't and I mean a couple of these this
isn't even going to be a thing, is it now?

Speaker 2 (03:39):
I don't think it is at all. Look, ultimately, the
language in the agreement is very clear. The Parliamentary Committee
went through this in detail and it is a commitment
to promote only But TV business is already getting on
with us. We're seeing announcements runk pretty quickly about them.
Investing or setting up offices there, employing Kiwis who have
right to go and work in their offices in India
now locals and so look at it. It will build ultimately

(04:03):
across the board. We are going to do much much
more with India, and I predict fifteen years from now
very easily it will be as important to us this
trade relationship as our China onners at the moment.

Speaker 1 (04:12):
I appreciate your time. Tom mclyd, the Trade Minister, will
be very pleased to get it across the line.

Speaker 2 (04:17):
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Speaker 1 (04:20):
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