Tenth Joint Meeting of The India-New Zealand JBC
December 6, 2001, New Delhi

Address by Hon'ble Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Mr Rajiv Pratap Rudy

Hon’ble Minister of Commerce, Communications & Information Technology of New Zealand, Mr Paul Swain
Her Excellency Ms Caroline McDonald, High Commissioner of New Zealand in India
Mr Paddy Marra, Chairman, New Zealand-India JBC
Mr Vikram Kapur, Co-Chairman India-New Zealand JBC
Distinguished Delegates
Ladies & Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to join you all today for the Tenth Meeting of the India-New Zealand Joint Business Council being organised by FICCI.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the Hon’ble Minister of Commerce, Communications & Information Technology of New Zealand Mr Paul Swain to India.

India and New Zealand share a close relationship as members of Commonwealth, whose diverse membership allows countries from all parts of the globe to meet and share views and promote common values.

Our common language, passion for cricket and most fundamental our attachment to the West Minister System of Parliamentary bureaucracy, under which we both are governed bring us closer to each other.

Links between our two countries continue to grow. In recent years, ever increasing numbers of Indian tourists are discovering New Zealand as a holiday and honeymoon destination.

Why, even our film makers are finding New Zealand as an important destination for their shootings.

I would like to compliment FICCI for organising the Tenth JBC Meeting as business to business exchanges pave the way for enhancing cooperation and expanding our trade relations further.

I have been given to understand that my colleague Mr Chaobe Singh, from the Ministry of Food Proccessing had led a Official-cum-Business delegation to New Zealand this year in May-June. These continuing interactions would no doubt enhance our bilateral trade as business tie-ups in different areas take place.

New Zealand is growing as an important destination for Indian students. However, I feel that it would be desirable to work out a suitable mechanism by which the degrees of various deserving educational institutions of both the countries could be recognized by each other. There is also a need to permit the students and their spouses to take up part time jobs in New Zealand.

Further, there is a need to address the reported non-recognition of the Indian medical degrees, which prevent Indian doctors from practicing medicine in New Zealand on par with doctors from some other countries.

Another area where India and New Zealand could mutually cooperate is in the field of development of non-conventional energy. New Zealand has considerable expertise in tapping geo-thermal energy, while India has some expertise in the field of wind energy and solar power etc.

Our High Commission in New Zealand could provide advice and assistance to the New Zealand companies which are considering collaborative ventures with Indian companies.

My Ministry would only be too delighted to take up the necessary action for speeding up implementation of cooperative ventures which have been discussed at the Joint Trade Committee and other occasions for the necessary follow-up.

I feel that our two countries can also take up joint Research Development projects in various fields including in the fields of medical electronics, animal husbandry and fisheries, frozen semen technology and performance recording, artificial insemination etc.

We need to concentrate our efforts on sun-rise, knowledge based industries of information technology and software as New Zealand has requirements for IT professionals in these areas and India can meet the demand.

If we look at our bilateral trade, there is immense scope for expanding the same from its present status of around US $ 141 million. To give impetus to our exports, reduction of tariffs by New ,mZealand on items of India’s export interest, namely textiles & garments, will be appreciated. We know, New Zealand is committed to reducing tariff rates to zero by the year 2006, however, an early reduction would give Indian exports a thrust.

Further, may we also request the New Zealand side to examine the feasibility of introducing an electronic visa card, similar to that issued by Australia, with a validity of five years, with multiple entry facility offering foreign businessmen to stay upto three months at a time.

I once again compliment FICCI and its counterpart organisation, New Zealand-India Joint Business Council for coming together for the Tenth Meeting of the JBC. I wish the meeting all the success and hope many successful and fruitful joint ventures taking place.

Thank you!