Trade and economic cooperation, defence and security, secure supply chains for commodities such as critical minerals and people-to-people ties are set to top the agenda for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nearly week-long visit to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand next week, officials said on Friday.
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Modi will begin the three-nation tour by travelling to Indonesia, which has emerged as a key security and economic partner in the Asean region, during July 6-8. He will visit Australia during July 8-10, before travelling to New Zealand during July 10-11. Besides holding talks with the leadership of the three countries, Modi will participate in events with the Indian diaspora.
The PM is visiting Indonesia at the invitation of President Prabowo Subianto, who was the chief guest at India’s Republic Day in January 2025. Modi will hold talks with Prabowo to review progress in bilateral ties and address a gathering of the Indian diaspora in Jakarta. He will also visit the Prambanan Temple complex at Yogyakarta, a UNESCO world heritage site where India and Indonesia are set to collaborate on a conservation project.
In Australia, Modi will hold talks with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Melbourne and participate in the India-Australia CEOs Forum. Modi and Albanese will participate along with sports personalities from both countries in a sports event at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He will also address a gathering of the Indian diaspora.
Modi will travel to Auckland on the final leg of the tour for talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. This will be the first visit by an Indian premier to New Zealand in four decades. Bilateral ties have witnessed significant growth in the past two years, including the signing of a free trade agreement and enhanced defence cooperation. Modi will interact with business and sports personalities and address a gathering of the Indian diaspora.
Rudrendra Tandon, secretary (East) in the external affairs ministry, told a media briefing that the visit marks a focus on the eastern Indian Ocean in line with India’s Act East policy. “Indonesia has always played an important role for the security and stability of the Malacca Strait. This is a very important maritime zone for India, as it represents one of the most important sea lanes of communication for India [and] the global economy,” he said.
Indonesia is also a key country within the Asean bloc that plays an important role in strengthening the rules-based order, and Modi and Prabowo will move forward ties, particularly in maritime cooperation, defence and enhancing trade, he said.
Responding to a question on the ongoing review of the Asean-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA), Tandon pointed to the complexities involved as this is a multilateral agreement that requires bringing all Asean member states on board. “We [have] discussed with all our Asean partners the importance of upgrading and reviewing the AITIGA, which is a very old agreement and probably does not reflect the structures of the economies either in India or in Asean,” he said.
Vishwesh Negi, joint secretary (Oceania and Indo-Pacific) in the external affairs ministry, said the visit will give a push to negotiations underway with Australia for a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (CECA). “Our teams are closely engaged, we’re working with the ministry of commerce on that,” he said.
Tandon responded to a question on steps taken by New Zealand to limit immigration by saying that the Indian government’s focus is on mobility, or improving prospects for high skilled workers, CEOs and technical experts. “Experience has shown us that over a period of time, hassles faced by our technical experts do create the effect of a de-facto non-tariff barrier,” he said.
