UNCLASSIFIED
New Zealand Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Trade
Manatū Aorere
55 Molesworth Street
25 May 2026
Private Bag 18−901
Wellington 6160
New Zealand
T +64 4 439 8000
F +64 4 472 9596
Joshua Riley
OIA 30899
[FYI request #34549 email]>
Tēnā koe Joshua Riley
Thank you for your email of 26 April 2026 in which you request the following under the
Official Information Act 1982 (OIA):
“I request the following information held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Trade, covering the period 1 January 2025 to the date of this request:
1. All communications (including emails, text messages, WhatsApp / Signal / other
messaging app correspondence, letters, briefings, file notes, meeting minutes, and
diary entries) between staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and any of
the following parties, where the subject matter relates to the New Zealand–India
Free Trade Agreement or to the promotion, amplification, or social media coverage
of statements by the Prime Minister or the Minister for Trade and Investment
regarding India or the FTA:
a. Social media influencers, content creators, or operators of social media accounts
(including but not limited to accounts on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn,
YouTube, and WhatsApp);
b. Public relations, communications, marketing, or digital strategy firms or
consultants;
c. Media organisations, journalists, or media-buying agencies based in India or
primarily serving Indian audiences;
d. Diaspora organisations, community groups, or business councils with a focus on
India–New Zealand relations;
e. Officials, agencies, or representatives of the Government of India (including the
Indian High Commission to New Zealand, the Ministry of External Affairs, and the
Ministry of Commerce and Industry) where those communications relate to social
media activity, content sharing, or coordinated promotion;
f. Any third party engaged or paid (whether by [agency], by another government
agency, or by a contracted intermediary) to promote, amplify, share, retweet, like,
or otherwise increase the reach of social media content concerning the India FTA.
UNCLASSIFIED
Page 2 of 2
2. Any contracts, statements of work, purchase orders, invoices, or financial
records relating to the engagement of any party for the purpose of social media
amplification, influencer marketing, audience targeting, or coordinated promotion
of messaging concerning the India FTA, including any spend on paid amplification
on X/Twitter or other platforms.
3. Any internal strategy documents, communications plans, media plans, or
briefings concerning the digital or social media communications strategy for the
India FTA, including any analysis, monitoring, or reporting on social media
engagement (e.g. retweets, likes, follower analytics) of posts by the Prime Minister
or the Minister for Trade and Investment relating to India or the FTA.
4. Any correspondence with platforms (including X Corp / Twitter, Meta, Google)
regarding the promotion, boosting, or analytics of posts relating to the India FTA.
For the avoidance of doubt, this request includes communications conducted on
personal devices or non-government accounts where they relate to official
business, in line with the Ombudsman's guidance on the OIA.”
Response to your request
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade intends to begin proactively releasing information on
the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement by mid July 2026. Accordingly, your request is
refused under section 18(d) of the OIA:
www.mfat.govt.nz/en/trade/free-trade-
agreements/free-trade-agreements-concluded-but-not-in-force/new-zealand-india-free-trade-
agreement/resources
Your request is therefore refused under section 18(d) of the OIA, as the information will
be publicly available.
Please note that it is our policy to proactively release our responses to official
information requests where possible. Therefore, our response to your request (with your
personal information removed) may be published on the Ministry website:
www.mfat.govt.nz/en/about-us/contact-us/official-information-act-responses/
If you have any questions about this decision, you can contact us by email at:
[email address]. You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the
Ombudsman of this decision by contacting
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone
0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Sarah Corbett
for Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Document Outline
