Mutual regard and great camaraderie
Auckland: New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser and India’s visiting Minister of Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma share a great relationship, going by the comments and the fulsome praise they heaped on each other and their countries during their respective addresses to businesspeople in Auckland.
Mr Groser praised his Indian counterpart’s contribution to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations in his relatively short association with it while Mr Sharma said he had learned a lot about the WTO from Mr Groser, who is a world renowned and respected authority on the minefield that is the WTO.
He said he placed Mr Sharma’s visit “at the pinnacle of visits by dignitaries” as a mark of respect for India, which he said “not deserves – that’s not a good word – but commands in the international arena.”
Mr Groser also acknowledged the contribution the 100,000 “Kiwi Indians” were making to New Zealand and its economy. He said there always was an instinctive feeling of warmth between New Zealanders and Indians because of shared values.
New Zealand was just a tenth the size of India but India had a population more than 300 times New Zealand’s he said – but that was a measure of the potential that existed in India, he said.
Opportunities were available in plenty in the mining, natural resources, technology and a whole range of services, Mr Groser said.
Commenting on the forthcoming FTA between the two countries, Mr Groser said though many people would instinctively accord greater importance to the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) over a free trade agreement with India, he would find it difficult to choose.
The minister obviously recognises the emerging opportunities in India to carry as much weight, if not more than what the TPP would offer.
Mr Sharma narrated how he had first met Mr Groser on a flight to a WTO meeting. They were in adjacent seats and although they had never met before, Mr Groser recognised Mr Sharma and introduced himself. The pair got talking and he was amazed at Mr Groser’s knowledge of WTO, Mr Sharma said.
He also spoke about New Zealand and India’s shared values in democratic and legal systems and of course the English language – and cricket. The two countries had a lot in common he said and encouraged greater people to people contact in the coming years.
It is known that Mr Groser had a great relationship with Mr Sharma’s predecessor Kamal Nath and that was considered instrumental in getting the FTA negotiations off the ground, it is widely acknowledged.
Mr Groser and Mr Sharma seem to have hit it off equally well and indications are that the negotiations will progress here on.
Auckland: New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser and India’s visiting Minister of Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma share a great relationship, going by the comments and the fulsome praise they heaped on each other and their countries during their respective addresses to businesspeople in Auckland.
Auckland: New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser and India’s visiting Minister of Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma share a great relationship, going by the comments and the fulsome praise they heaped on each other and their countries during their respective addresses to businesspeople in Auckland.
Mr Groser praised his Indian counterpart’s contribution to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations in his relatively short association with it while Mr Sharma said he had learned a lot about the WTO from Mr Groser, who is a world renowned and respected authority on the minefield that is the WTO.
He said he placed Mr Sharma’s visit “at the pinnacle of visits by dignitaries” as a mark of respect for India, which he said “not deserves – that’s not a good word – but commands in the international arena.”
Mr Groser also acknowledged the contribution the 100,000 “Kiwi Indians” were making to New Zealand and its economy. He said there always was an instinctive feeling of warmth between New Zealanders and Indians because of shared values.
New Zealand was just a tenth the size of India but India had a population more than 300 times New Zealand’s he said – but that was a measure of the potential that existed in India, he said.
Opportunities were available in plenty in the mining, natural resources, technology and a whole range of services, Mr Groser said.
Commenting on the forthcoming FTA between the two countries, Mr Groser said though many people would instinctively accord greater importance to the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) over a free trade agreement with India, he would find it difficult to choose.
The minister obviously recognises the emerging opportunities in India to carry as much weight, if not more than what the TPP would offer.
Mr Sharma narrated how he had first met Mr Groser on a flight to a WTO meeting. They were in adjacent seats and although they had never met before, Mr Groser recognised Mr Sharma and introduced himself. The pair got talking and he was amazed at Mr Groser’s knowledge of WTO, Mr Sharma said.
He also spoke about New Zealand and India’s shared values in democratic and legal systems and of course the English language – and cricket. The two countries had a lot in common he said and encouraged greater people to people contact in the coming years.
It is known that Mr Groser had a great relationship with Mr Sharma’s predecessor Kamal Nath and that was considered instrumental in getting the FTA negotiations off the ground, it is widely acknowledged.
Mr Groser and Mr Sharma seem to have hit it off equally well and indications are that the negotiations will progress here on.
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