India will work towards making its bilateral ties with New Zealand more contemporary and future ready, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said on Sunday as he wrapped up his maiden visit to the country.

Jaishankar, who inaugurated the new Indian High Commission Chancery in Wellington and interacted with the Indian community during his visit, said that playing with each other’s strengths is a more sensible way of growing the important relationship between India and New Zealand.

Jaishankar also said that the relationship between both countries is “due for an update”, and “due for refresh”.

“Concluded my visit to New Zealand. Will work towards making our relationship more contemporary and future ready,” Jaishankar tweeted.

Earlier in the day, during his interaction with the Indian community at the inauguration of the new Indian High Commission Chancery in Wellington, the Minister that he has urged New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta to take a sympathetic view on the difficulties faced by Indian students, who were impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“None of us had an easy time during COVID. But students perhaps took a bigger hit than most of us. So, I urged the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister to take a sympathetic view and understanding of students who enter and I was glad to be assured that they would approach the issue sympathetically,” Jaishankar said.

External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar speaking at the Indian High Commission Chancery at Wellington, New Zealand on 9 October 2022. (Photo credit: @DrSJaishankar/Twitter)

India is the second largest source of international students in New Zealand pursuing higher education in various disciplines such as information technology, hospitality, science, engineering and architecture.

From New Zealand, he will go to Canberra and Sydney which will be his second visit to Australia this year.

New Zealand has approximately 2,50,000 persons of Indian origin and NRIs, a vast majority of which have made the country their permanent home.

Jaishankar also visited the Te Papa museum exhibition on Sunday in Wellington commemorating the Gallipoli campaign.

Concluded my visit to New Zealand.

Will work towards making our relationship more contemporary and future ready. pic.twitter.com/E8nBzYtZTP

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 9, 2022