Watch | '21st century will be shaped by India': New Zealand PM Luxon's big praise for PM Modi and Chandrayaan 3 success
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Watch | '21st century will be shaped by India': New Zealand PM Luxon's big praise for PM Modi and Chandrayaan 3 success")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon wave during Indian community Event, in Auckland on Saturday. Photograph: (ANI)
In a rare gesture, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon personally received Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the airport on his arrival and later saw him off at the end of his visit.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Saturday (July 11) praised India's rapid economic progress under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing him as "one of the most important leaders of our time" and saying that the "21st century will be shaped by India."
Speaking at a community event attended by members of the Indian diaspora, Luxon pointed to India's transformation over the past decade. He highlighted the country's success in reducing poverty, expanding infrastructure, advancing its space programme through Chandrayaan 3, and strengthening its position in the global economy.
"In just the last decade, 250 million Indians were lifted out of poverty. The number of airports more than doubled to 157. About 95,000 kilometres of brand new highways have been built... India has landed a spacecraft on the Moon's South Pole, making it the first nation on Earth to do that. It hosted the G20, and it will soon be the world's third-largest economy," Luxon said.
Chandrayaan 3 is India's third lunar exploration mission developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It made a historic soft landing near the Moon's south pole on August 23, 2023.
"India will shape the 21st century, and New Zealand wants to help build that future with you," he added.
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Luxon also commended Prime Minister Modi's leadership, saying Modi had risen "from humble beginnings to lead the world's largest democracy" and credited him with helping lift "hundreds of millions of people out of poverty."
"He is one of the most important leaders of our time and a true friend to New Zealand. This community and this friendship are something truly extraordinary," Luxon said.
Recalling Prime Minister Modi's arrival in New Zealand, Luxon noted that he personally received him at the airport, breaking protocol, and described the visit as a historic moment for the country.
"Tonight, New Zealand makes history. For the first time in 40 years, an Indian Prime Minister stands on New Zealand soil...Prime Minister Modi, let me say on behalf of 5 million New Zealanders, you are worth the wait."
The New Zealand Prime Minister also spoke about his long association with India, recalling his visit to the country in the 1990s while working for Unilever. He reflected on India's remarkable economic transformation over the past three decades and said New Zealand looks forward to building a stronger future with India.
Luxon sees off PM Modi
Upon the conclusion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon personally saw him off at the airport. Earlier, Luxon had also broken protocol to receive the Indian leader at the airport on his arrival.
"After concluding substantive discussions and overseeing a key set of outcomes in New Zealand, PM@narendramodi departs for India. In a special gesture, he was seen off by PM
@chrisluxonmp at the airport," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on X.
