Wellington: Indian President Draupadi Murmu on Thursday met New Zealand Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters to discuss ways to enhance friendly bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields. Murmu arrived in New Zealand on Wednesday as part of the second leg of her three-nation visit. She was given a Royal Guard of Honour upon her arrival here. The President’s Office said in a post on the social media platform ‘X’, “President Draupadi Murmu met New Zealand Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro. The two leaders appreciated the friendly relations between India and New Zealand and discussed cooperation in various fields.” Later Peters also met President Murmu. Peters is also the Foreign Minister of New Zealand.
‘Education has been close to the heart’
Murmu’s office said, “The two leaders underlined the progress in bilateral relations and discussed ways to enhance cooperation in many areas.” He also addressed the New Zealand International Education Conference in Wellington. During this, he talked about the transformative power of education. President Murmu said, “Education has always been close to my heart. I have seen and experienced the transformative power of education directly. Education is not only an individual effort, but also a medium of social change and nation building.” He said that the education system plays an important role in 21st century India. India has given leaders in diverse fields who are contributing not only in India but all over the world. The President said that today, India has a young aspiring demographic, which is ready to receive quality education.
Indian students in New Zealand
Murmu said, “Indian parents aspire for the best possible education for their children and it is really welcome that many Indian students are receiving quality education in various institutions of New Zealand. There are 8,000 Indian students pursuing various courses across New Zealand, making them the second largest group of international students here.” She said New Zealand is renowned for its high quality education with a special focus on research and innovation, inclusiveness and excellence. President Murmu said the New Zealand Education Summit provides an excellent opportunity to strengthen ongoing cooperation in education and explore new areas of cooperation.
