Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s much acclaimed Minister of External Affairs, will be in New Zealand next week on a five-day visit. As well as bilateral meetings with New Zealand ministers and officials, he will formally inaugurate the new Chancery building at the High Commission of India in Wellington and attend the Indian Weekender Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame in Auckland.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always emphasised the important role that the Indian diaspora plays in strengthening India’s international relationships. Globally, there are more than 30 million people of Indian origin, with nearly 300,000 of them in New Zealand, forming one of the largest ethnic minorities in the country.
It is therefore significant that External Affairs Minister Jaishankar will be the guest of honour at the Indian Weekender Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame, where Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will be the chief guest, to honour and celebrate the contributions of Kiwi-Indians to New Zealand society. The newly-appointed High Commissioner of India, Neeta Bhushan, will also be attending the October 6 invitation-only event, as will be Mayor of Auckland Phil Goff, several government ministers and members of parliament.
Speaking to the Indian Weekender, Honorary Consul of India Bhav Dhillon, who is also the founder of the Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame initiative said, “I had the opportunity meet the Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in New Delhi on April 29 this year, which is when I requested him to attend or send a representative of the Government of India to the Hall of Fame and the books launch. It is truly wonderful that the Honourable Minister Jaishankar will be here to attend it along with his other official engagements.”
A special feature of this year’s Indian Weekender Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame event is the launch of a couple of books about Prime Minister Modi’s deep connections to communities of people of Indian origin around the world. Senior officials involved in the launch of these books will also travel to New Zealand and be part of this leading Indian diaspora event.
It is after 31 long years that India’s external affairs Minister is visiting New Zealand. The visit assumes significance as India’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific continues to grow and comes close on the heels of a just-concluded successful trade delegation to India led by the India-New Zealand Business Council which included New Zealand trade Minister Damien O’Connor. The delegation had several high-level meetings with officials in New Delhi.
Dr Jaishankar has been making global headlines in recent times for his astute diplomacy and leadership. In his long and distinguished diplomatic career, he has been India’s ambassador to the United States, China, the Czech Republic as well as High Commissioner to Singapore and India’s Foreign Secretary in New Delhi. He holds an M. Phil and Ph.D. in international relations specialising in nuclear diplomacy.
He has contributed significantly to India’s strategic security and economic interests and to building the country’s standing as a global superpower, especially by navigating India’s foreign policy and international relations through serious geopolitical challenges in different parts of the world.
Dr Jaishankar speaks English, Russian, Tamil, Hindi, Japanese, Mandarin and some Hungarian. He was conferred Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award, for his contribution to the country’s international affairs. Since 2019, he has been India’s External Affairs Minister and his work is making a global impact reflecting a brave, new, confident, India.
Other than his attendance at the Indian Weekender Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame, Dr Jaishankar will also attend a breakfast meeting hosted by the Auckland Business Chamber at the Park Hyatt Hotel.
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