India’s New High Commissioner to New Zealand Avanindra Kumar Pandey says that immense potential exists to take bilateral relations between the two countries to higher levels.
“While the talks for a Free Trade Agreement are under way, I am sure that we can find new avenues to improve the friendly ties that exist between India and New Zealand,” he said, speaking to Indian Newslink from Khartoum, where he is currently Inda’s Ambassador to Sudan.
Mr Pandey said that he would concert efforts on expanding the exisitng relations with goodwill, understanding and friendship.
“I would like to see new highs in the Government-to-Government and People-to-People relations. India and New Zealand have a number of common factors including Parliamentary democracy, an independnent Judiciary and Cricket. We can enhance our relationship for the benefit of the peoples of the two countries,” he said.
When informed for the highly sucessful visit of New Zealand Prime Minsiter John Key to India last year, he said, “Such visits are extremely useful. I am confident that our relations will grow.”
A career diplomat, Mr Pandey has been in the Indian Foreign Service since 1976. A postgraduate in Economics, he has served in India’s External Affairs Ministry and in the country’s diplomatic missions in Kathmandu Nepal), San Francisco (US), Phnom Penh (North Korea), Brussels (Belgium), Berlin (Germany), Male (Maldives) and Khartum (Sudan).
Married to Sujata, the couple have a daughter (Aparna) who is married to a lawyer and settled in Ghaziabad near New Delhi.
Mr and Mrs Pandey are expected to arrive in New Zealand next month.
