British govt ministers to visit NZ next week

British government ministers will visit New Zealand next week for bilateral talks.

Foreign Secretary William Hague and Defence Secretary Liam Fox, accompanied by Chief of Defence Staff General Sir David Richards, will arrive in Auckland on Thursday ahead of two days of talks with Foreign Minister Murray McCully and Defence Minister Wayne Mapp.

Mr McCully said the discussions would include political, economic and security issues where the countries had common interests.

"The relationship that New Zealand has with the United Kingdom is one of our oldest and closest. I am looking forward to discussing areas where our countries can do more together."

Mr Mapp said the visit was an indication of Britain's interest in the Asia-Pacific region.

"The United Kingdom and New Zealand have close historical security ties and share a similar view about many current international security challenges. The visit by Defence Secretary Fox will provide an opportunity for us to review our co-operation."

- NZPA