After completing his two-day trip to Papua New Guinea, President Pranab Mukherjee today left for New Zealand on the first-ever visit by an Indian Head of State to the country.
His trip assumes significance as it is a first high-level visit from India in 20 years after Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's visit to the island nation.
India traditionally shared close relations with New Zealand with the Indian diaspora of 1,75,000 helping to further cement bilateral ties, said Jaideep Mazumdar, Joint Secretary (South), Ministry of External Affairs.
During the visit, the two countries will look at prospects for cooperation in agriculture, dairy, food processing, education and skill development as well as high technology, he had said.
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key had visited India in 2011 and its Governor General in 2008, 2009 and 2011.
During his visit, Mukherjee will meet the Governor General, the Prime Minister and the leader of the Opposition besides addressing a gathering of top New Zealand businessmen.
The President is likely to address the Indian community, students and faculty of the Auckland University of Technology and interact with Indian students there.
"The number of Indian students in New Zealand has grown exponentially over the last few years. It now numbers about 23,000 and last year alone, the growth was about 67 per cent. New Zealand is also a magnet for Indian tourists. Last year 43,000 Indian tourists went to New Zealand and from the New Zealand side there were about 25,000 tourists to India," he had said.
