Prime Minister downplays absence of Foreign Affairs Minister during Narendra Modi visit

Christopher Luxon is downplaying the absence of his foreign affairs minister during what he calls an historic visit from the Indian prime minister.

The visit comes after the India Free Trade agreement legislation passed its first reading and while Winston Peters is out of the country, visiting Singapore and Japan.

The New Zealand First leader has consistently criticised the India Free Trade Agreement, withholding his party's support for it, but Luxon says it's a "leader level visit" and "it's quite normal, it's quite okay" Peters is overseas.

Narendra Modi's visit - taking place over the coming weekend - will be the first by an Indian prime minister in 40 years.

During the first reading of the trade agreement's legislation, Peters claimed National was "covertly" approving changes to immigration settings that would discriminate against Indians.

Immigration Minister Erica Stanford has also said Peters risks undermining New Zealand's relationship with India after taking India trade deal discussions public before final decisions have been made.

Asked if it was convenient that Peters was out of the country, Luxon said reporters were "overthinking it" and that it was "quite normal" for the foreign affairs minister to be overseas.

He rejected the suggestion that the foreign affairs minister would usually be in the country for a bilateral visit in New Zealand.

"The bottom line is this is a leader level visit," Luxon said.

"I am hosting Prime Minister Modi, reciprocating the hosting he did for me when I went and visited India. It's quite normal."

Luxon said he didn't recall travelling with the foreign affairs minister to any offshore visits, and there had often been visitors in New Zealand where the pair weren't both in the country at the same time.

Peters had said the deal was potentially discriminatory for Indian nationals when compared to other trade agreements, but Trade Minister Todd McClay rejected that.

Asked if Peters was wrong, McClay said Peters was able to "speak for himself".

Luxon said Peters "doesn't like free trade agreements", whether its with China or India.

"The bottom line is what we're doing here is nothing unusual," Luxon said.

Luxon said he rejected comments he'd heard from Peters regarding migrants, and went on to say New Zealand had a "smart, fair, targeted immigration system" and wasn't in the same situation as other countries internationally.

"It's unfair of politicians to go out there and whip up anti-immigrant sentiment and denigrate our immigrant community here in New Zealand.

"They shouldn't be denigrated or vilified or whipped up while we get some politicians playing immigration cosplay."

Asked for a response regarding the timing of the visit, a spokesperson for Peters told RNZ his international schedule was planned months in advance and guided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs strategy and government international engagement strategy.

"The timing is independent of the prime minister's hosting of Prime Minister Modi."