New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) As Prime Minister Modi completes 25 years in public service, there has certainly been a significant change, not only in the Indian economy but also in the growing wealth of India and Indians, New Zealand’s Minister for Trade and Investment, Todd McClay, said on Friday.

Speaking to IANS, McClay said that PM Modi’s focus on education for people, building more universities every year than anyone else in the world, and, of course, the great investment in infrastructure is quite significant.

“Of course, Prime Minister Modi has said he wants to increase the earnings of farmers and growers by 50 per cent by 2035. I think we’re joining him in that mission,” he mentioned.

McClay further said that there’s a lot of advanced technology and innovation that “we use in New Zealand that we will want to bring and work with India on to help increase the earnings of farmers in India, just as we have in New Zealand”.

PM Modi completes 25 uninterrupted years in public office on October 7. Under his leadership, India is rapidly moving on the path of development to achieve the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047.

McClay further said that his country has had negotiations and discussions and signed agreements previously with India in many areas, and now in trade as well.

“Energy security is extremely important, and particularly around renewable energy, there will be a lot that we can do together. Of course, there’s more to the relationship now. We’ve signed cooperation agreements around security. Our military forces will do things together constructively and so on,” McClay told IANS.

The India-New Zealand trade agreement is only the start of the effort, focus and investment that the New Zealand government wants to make in our relationship with India, he added.

He further said that we have our election coming up in New Zealand. Once that’s finished, then it’s my hope to be able to visit India before the end of the year.

–IANS

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