KEY POINTS:
The Government will be represented at Gallipoli on Anzac Day by Foreign Minister Winston Peters.
He leaves for Europe on Monday, stopping first in Turkey before going on to visit a number of other countries.
After Gallipoli on Anzac Day, Mr Peters will go Ankara to meet Turkish leaders.
Mr Peters said the solid relationship between New Zealand and Turkey had been founded on shared losses during the Gallipoli campaign 93 years ago.
But the relationship was gaining momentum, he said.
This year, arrangements for co-operation on education and sanitary matters had been concluded. The two countries had agreed to start negotiations on a double tax agreement and an air services agreements.
After Turkey, Mr Peters heads to Slovenia for consultations with the European Union presidency and calls on the government, before making a bilateral visit to Croatia.
Mr Peters said regular consultations with the EU helped advance New Zealand's bilateral interests in Europe.
Croatia had been invited to join NATO and was next in line for EU membership "so we will certainly have a much closer relationship in the future".
Then it is on to Rome to meet the heads of New Zealand's European-based missions, and London for bilateral calls and to attend a meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (Cmag).
Mr Peters said the main items for discussions at the Cmag meeting were whether Pakistan should be readmitted to the Commonwealth and Fiji.
Mr Peters said he would brief Cmag on the Pacific Islands Forum ministerial meeting on Fiji that was held recently in Auckland.
Recent events in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives were also likely to be discussed.
- NZPA
