Jawaharlal Nehru University

May I specifically greet you: Rector, Professor Ramadhikari Kumar and Dean of the School of International Studies, Pushpesh Pant; Professor Manmohini Kaul; Academic staff otherwise; students; distinguished guests otherwise; ladies and gentlemen. 

May I begin with a New Zealand greeting, "Kia Ora" and in the context of this morning's gathering add also the greetings: Namaste, Namashkar, Sat Sri Akal, Kam Cho.

May I then offer respects to this important centre of learning in India, which in the name of the late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, for the past nearly 40 years, has promoted the study of international understanding, democracy, social justice, secularism and national integration in a way that is exemplary.  The name of JNU is recognised well beyond the borders of India.  I register thanks to you Rector and Dean for your welcome.

This is not my first visit to India.  Coming to India with my wife, as I have had the privilege of doing on a small number of occasions, I cannot help but echo the words of the National Geographic editor-in-chief, Keith Bellows, that India's intensity of colours, tastes, sounds and smells renders everything in technicolour and makes the rest of the world black and white in comparison.  In addition I have the privilege to be making the first visit by a Governor-General of New Zealand to India and so it is very special in a diplomatic sense as well as in a personal sense being a New Zealander of Indian descent.

I would like to take this opportunity to speak succinctly about New Zealand's relationship with India - both our past and present endeavours, and our hopes for the future. 

In brief I will expand on three broad observations:

First, although our two nations are in many respects very different countries, we do share a number of important common values.  I will offer the view that in the 21st century that democracy, freedom, tolerance, and respect for the rule of law are significantly more enduring than the physical distance between us.

Secondly, while New Zealand and India have enjoyed a warm but distant relationship, there is now a strong desire in both countries to take that relationship to a higher level, and to unlock the potential that undoubtedly exists.

Thirdly, we are partners in what can be described as the Asia-Pacific region.  We share the same concerns for peace, security and stability throughout this region. As founding members of the East Asia Summit, we are both engaged in international institutions such as the United Nations, the Commonwealth and the World Trade Organisation.  These institutions that are attempting to address the key challenges confronting our world today, such as climate change, global trade negotiations and combating terrorism.

A Warm but Distant Relationship

Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw once famously said England and America were two countries separated by the same language.  In one sense these two countries were so familiar to one another, but in another sense, so far apart.

The New Zealand-India relationship represents a similar kind of paradox.  There are clearly some important areas of familiarity.  Both countries, for example, share a passion for sport, notably cricket and hockey.  Many New Zealand cricket supporters—myself included—have looked on enviously at India's recent successes, notably against Australia!  And as many will know, a number of New Zealand's best players recently competed in the very successful India Premier League.

But while the relationship has been longstanding and warm, it has not been particularly active.  Historically trade has been modest.  As recently as the 1990s, there were relatively few ministerial visits in either direction.  In other words, and until fairly recently, the two countries enjoyed what might be called a warm but distant relationship. 

In terms of history, India is repository to one of the oldest cultures in the world. As the American philosopher Will Durant once said:

"[India] was the mother of our philosophy; mother, through the Arabs, of much of our mathematics; mother, through the Buddha, of the ideals embodied in Christianity; mother, through the village community, of self-government and democracy. Mother India is in many ways the mother of us all."

New Zealand, in contrast, is a young nation, and was the last habitable land to be settled by humans.  Our country's first settlers were Maori, who arrived from Polynesia, probably during the 13^th century.  The journey of our modern nation began in 1840, when Maori Chiefs and my predecessor Governor William Hobson signed the Treaty of Waitangi. 

And then there is geography, and the sheer physical distance between our two countries.  India abuts the world's largest continent with its many peoples and cultures whilst New Zealand is located in the far south of the Pacific Ocean.  In strategic terms New Zealand has a modest placement. Former Prime Minister, the late Rt Hon David Lange, a man known for his wit, once quipped that New Zealand was: "a dagger pointed at the heart of Antarctica."  Rudyard Kipling put things in another and yet related way when, in his poem, Song of the Cities he described our largest city, Auckland, as - "Last, loneliest, loveliest, exquisite, apart".

New Zealand has traditionally struggled with what some have described as the "tyranny of distance," that is our relative isolation from the other countries with whom we wish to engage and trade. 

But in the 21st century, with instant communications, distance is becoming less of a factor.  What is important in strengthening relationships between countries - just as it is between people - are shared values.  And in this sense we are both well served.

Crucially, both our countries share a similar respect for, and commitment to, democratic values.  Although being one of the world's youngest nations, New Zealand is one of its oldest democracies.  We have had a parliamentary system since 1854 and universal adult franchise since 1893—the first nation in the world to do so.

India is the world's biggest democracy.   It has proved wrong the sceptics who said democracy was an alien concept that could never take hold, let alone flourish, in such a large and diverse Asian country.  And it was as democracies that India and New Zealand together became founding members of the modern Commonwealth.

We share many other core values.  Freedom of expression, including freedom of the media, is jealously guarded in both countries.  We have similar legal traditions and a similar respect for due process and the rule of law.  Many countries in the world do not share these sorts of values, but New Zealand and India do—and I believe this is significant as we look to further build our relationship.

Two Dynamic Economies

All of us share memories of particular dates, for example, 3 September 1939, 11 September 2001 and 30 January 1948.  1 January 1973 is probably a most important date in New Zealand's recent history.  Most New Zealanders would not recognise the date itself, but they would immediately acknowledge the importance of when Britain joined what was then called European Economic Community on that day.

In the 1960s more than half of New Zealand's exports went to Britain.  But access to this high priced market virtually disappeared overnight.   New Zealand initially sought to maintain its high standard of living through increased overseas borrowing and protective trade barriers. 

By 1984, however, the country was on the cusp of a financial crisis, with foreign exchange reserves at an all-time low.  This critical and alarming situation, with the benefit of hindsight, has been attributed by many commentators to a sustained period of high protection and extensive state controls.

In that year New Zealand embarked on a process of economic change.  This included removing agricultural subsidies and exchange controls on capital transactions; and reducing the size and role of the government in the economy. 

This process also caused economic and social pain and it continues to be a matter of much debate among New Zealanders.  But most commentators agree New Zealand's economy is more dynamic and competitive than it was in the early 1980s.   

The light-handed nature of the existing regulatory framework has contributed to New Zealand being rated by the World Bank as one of the easiest countries in the world in which to do business.  The openness of the economy has also seen science and technology, investment and skilled labour enter New Zealand.  This has helped our businesses to become more internationally competitive.

I mention these developments because India, to a certain extent, has taken a similar course.  Since Dr Manmohan Singh, as the then Finance Minister, introduced his package of economic changes in 1991, and continued by his successors in office such as Mr Chidambaram, India has enjoyed what can be described as stellar economic growth.  Annual growth has averaged more than seven percent for the last two decades, and more than nine percent in the last four years.  In terms of purchasing power parity, India's economy is now the world's fourth largest - behind the US, China and Japan. 

Although our two countries started at different times, and in different circumstances, with our shared economic experience of recent years, it is not surprising that we should be looking to explore opportunities for strengthening our economic relationship.  Bilateral trade has been growing steadily in recent years, to a current level of $630 million.  But this still falls well below the potential.  Trade between New Zealand and China, for example, is now $7.5 billion and is expected to grow rapidly now that a Free Trade Agreement has been signed.

The New Zealand and Indian governments are addressing this very issue.  Since April, officials from both countries have worked together to investigate the feasibility of a Free Trade Agreement.  This process is expected to be completed later this year.  From New Zealand's perspective we would welcome the opportunity to enter into Free Trade Agreement negotiations with India.

New Zealand's economy has diversified into many areas.  We have a very successful tourism sector; high value niche manufacturing and IT sectors; and lively creative sectors across film and television, contemporary music, fashion, design, and new media.

As many of you may know, one area in which New Zealand is particularly recognised as a world leader is agriculture, not just in efficient and effective production, but also in terms of research, storage, transportation and marketing.

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has spoken of India striving for a "second green revolution" to increase food production.  Current concerns about global food prices underscore the importance of this.  New Zealand would be pleased to be part of that story.  We believe that we would have much to offer, including research collaboration, agri-technology partnerships and potentially co-operation in third markets. 

The area of fastest growth in the economic relationship is in two areas of the services sector which have a strong people-to-people component, namely in tourism and education.  Being at a University I want to quickly highlight the latter. 

A decade ago, there were fewer than 200 students from India studying in New Zealand.  This year we are expecting upwards of 6,000—a phenomenal and pleasing increase.  If any of you are planning to study overseas—or are considering sending your children—I trust you will consider New Zealand.  A number of our country's tertiary institutions have a prestigious reputation, and the vast majority of our international students enjoy an unforgettable experience. 

The development of research collaborations between New Zealand and Indian universities is also a priority.  New Zealand researchers and students now have more resources, such as scholarships and other grants, to enable work with their Indian counterparts, and are interested in looking for opportunities to do so.  Forging these relationships is one of the best ways to build future international partnerships, between people working or studying together at a university.  

Working together at a broader level is also of equal importance and so I would like to conclude with a few remarks about New Zealand and India as partners in the Asia-Pacific region, and even more broadly as fully engaged members of the international community.

Partners in the Asia-Pacific and beyond

India's dramatic rise and rapid economic growth has led, quite naturally, to it holding greater influence both in the Asia-Pacific region and internationally.  The French Scholar of Indian Studies, Sylvia Levi, once said:

"[India] has left indelible imprints on one fourth of the human race in the course of a long succession of centuries. She has the right to reclaim ... her place amongst the great nations summarizing and symbolizing the spirit of humanity."

That has now come to pass.  India has firmly established itself, alongside China, as one of Asia's two major regional powers.  India and China are the key drivers in the continent's rapidly changing geo-political, economic and trade landscape. Understanding and embracing these developments is vital to New Zealand's interests and future prosperity.

For its part, India clearly recognises the importance of East Asia, as reflected in the "Look East" policy.  In 2005 New Zealand and India joined Australia, the ASEAN states, Japan, China and South Korea as the founding members of the East Asia Summit. 

As India looks east, its interests increasingly intersect with those of New Zealand.  The well-known media figure, Dr Sanjaya Baru, described India and New Zealand in striking fashion by saying they were the "book ends of Asia".  We see India's interest in East Asia and the Pacific as appropriate and in keeping with the role a country of India's size and stature will play in the 21st century.

New Zealand's small size and the lack of a direct conventional military threat have an important impact on the way we view the world.  But we have never been isolationist or pacifist in outlook. 

But while we may be isolated, we are not immune from terrorism.  New Zealanders have been among the casualties in the events since 9/11, for example, in Bali and London attacks.  India has also suffered from terrorism and I would like to take this opportunity to add condolences to that of our Prime Minister for the tragic loss of life following last month's bombings in Bangalore and Ahmedabad.  There is no justification for such indiscriminate violence.

New Zealand is committed to playing its part alongside others in the international community—including of course India—in combating terrorism and addressing the root causes of conflict. 

In this context the situation in Afghanistan and along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border clearly remains of great concern. 

New Zealand has strongly supported operations in Afghanistan since 2001.  Our elite SAS troops have undertaken three rotations in that country, and last year I had the great honour last year of conferring the Victoria Cross on Corporal Willie Apiata, the first New Zealander to receive this honour since the Second World War, for his service in Afghanistan.

Since 2003 the New Zealand Defence Force has also operated a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamyan province.  They have worked hard to make a difference to the lives of the local people, facilitating the construction of schools, roads, bridges and a maternity ward.

I would also like to acknowledge India's own political and development efforts in Afghanistan. As the bombing of the embassy in Kabul sadly demonstrated, such efforts are not without risk.  We must applaud the courage of those who are prepared to carry out peace building in such a dangerous environment.

There are many other issues of mutual concern to both countries, in our region and beyond.  Put simply, New Zealand sees India as more fully engaged internationally than at any time since the days of the man who gave this University its name, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. 

It is important for us to have greater dialogue with India on a wide range of issues, from those of mutual interest in the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Central Asia, to the WTO's Doha Round and the problem of climate change.  None of the significant issues confronting the world today can be resolved without India's input and assistance, or an open dialogue among nations with a shared interest.

There is no better contemporary example of this than that of climate change.  As members of the global community, we both share a common resource that must be collectively cared for and managed.  In tacking climate change we must do so equitably and effectively.  There is a special responsibility on this generation, and both developed and developing economies, to show leadership.  New Zealand welcomes India's perspectives and help in addressing this very serious global issue.  

Concluding Remarks

In conclusion, I would like to reflect on the most important element in any relationship—the people-to-people links.

Great men and women of course can make a big difference.  In India one need look no further than to Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.  In New Zealand, one of our greatest heroes, Sir Edmund Hillary, passed away early this year.  Sir Ed was a towering figure, not only in New Zealand, but also in Nepal and here in India.  In acknowledgement of his achievements the Government of India awarded Sir Ed the Padma Vibhushan, one of the very few occasions a non-Indian has been given this honour. 

It was with great pleasure that I hosted an event at the Government House residence in Auckland in May this year where the Hon Kamal Nath came and presented the award to Sir Ed's widow, Lady Hillary.  Leaders of Auckland's vibrant Indian community also attended what was a memorable occasion.  And in honouring the life of a great New Zealander, there was also honour for the great love and affection he had for India.  In many respects my visit to India marks something of an official conclusion to our country's period of mourning for Sir Edmund Hillary.

Sir Ed has left a tremendous legacy to build on.  We should not miss an opportunity to honour that legacy and build on it.  I hope that in some modest way my visit is a contribution to that work in progress.  And I hope that in the future New Zealand will touch each of you in some way, whether it is here in India, or perhaps through taking the opportunity to visit or study in New Zealand.  

Once again I would like to thank Rector Professor Kumar and Dean Pushpesh Pant and Professor Kaul for hosting me, and to you - the students of JNU - for being here this morning. 

And on that note, I will close in New Zealand's first language Maori, offering everyone greetings and wishing you good health and fortitude in your endeavours. No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tena koutou katoa.