India’s Modi to visit Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand next week

(Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Indonesia, Australia and ​New Zealand next week, the Indian Foreign Ministry said on ‌Friday, as New Delhi seeks to bolster ties in the Asia-Pacific region.

Modi will arrive in Indonesia on Monday and then travel to Australia before ending his ​trip in New Zealand on July 11, the ministry said.

After ​Modi's recent visits to Mauritius and Seychelles and the visit ⁠of Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to New Delhi this week, the ​focus has "shifted to the eastern maritime zones of the Indian Ocean and ​our Act East engagement", said Rudrendra Tandon, a top Indian Foreign Ministry official.

During the visits, Modi is expected to meet leaders of the three countries – Indonesian President ​Prabowo Subianto, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New Zealand Prime ​Minister Christopher Luxon.

In Melbourne, Modi is also expected to meet leaders from top Australian ‌companies, ⁠as well as visit the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

India is one of Australia's largest trading partners, with some 1 million Indian-born residents making up Australia's largest overseas population.

The visit to New Zealand comes amid rising ​anti-Indian sentiment in ​the country and ⁠tensions in New Zealand's ruling coalition caused by a free-trade agreement between the two nations.

"Prime Minister Modi's visit is ​historic, with this being the first to New Zealand ​by an ⁠Indian Prime Minister in 40 years," New Zealand's Luxon said in a statement on Friday.

New Zealand and India signed a free-trade agreement in April that ⁠will ​eventually remove tariffs on 100% of Indian ​and 95% of New Zealand goods.