KEY POINTS:
Defence Minister Phil Goff will go on a night patrol with the army while in East Timor.
Mr Goff heads to East Timor tonight to visit New Zealand Defence Force personnel and police working there, as well as East Timorese officials.
Mr Goff said he would visit Defence Force troops and police officers who had been working to achieve security and stability in East Timor.
"While with the New Zealanders I will accompany New Zealand army personnel on a night patrol in Dili."
Mr Goff will meet with newly-elected President Jose Ramos-Horta, whom he has known for almost 20 years, care-taker Prime Minister Estanislau da Silva and senior military and United Nations officials.
This will be Mr Goff's second visit to East Timor in his role as defence minister.
"... I am looking forward to returning and getting a first hand understanding of the current political and security situation."
He will be in East Timor from May 29-31.
Mr Goff will then go to Singapore for the 6th Asian Security Summit, commonly known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, from June 1-3.
The dialogue was the key forum for discussing public policy on defence and security in the Asia-Pacific region, Mr Goff said.
Delegates from 26 countries were taking part and he would meeting with counterparts from Australia, Singapore, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Indonesia, the United Kingdom and Germany.
- NZPA
