Foreign Minister Winston Peters will have bi-lateral meetings with two of US President Donald Trump's most hawkish defence and security advisers in a five-day trip to Washington DC.
Peters leaves today for meetings with a range of key White House officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton.
He is also scheduled to give a speech "focused on the importance of the bilateral relationship and opportunities to further strengthen trade and economic cooperation between New Zealand and the United States", a statement from his office said.
"The United States is a close friend of New Zealand. Our countries share a strategic partnership based on our strong security relationship, close economic links and long-standing commitment to democracy," said Peters.
The New Zealand First party leader and deputy Prime Minister has become the Labour-led coalition government's door-opener in Washington and is making pursuit of a bilateral free trade agreement with the US a personal goal. The Trump administration withdrew from the TPPA trade and investment agreement in early 2017, one of its first executive acts, ending prospects of a long-sought improvement in trade access for New Zealand exporters to the US market. The US administration has expressed a willingness to negotiate bilateral FTAs.
