Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and PM Jacinda Ardern address media

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is to address media alongside Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will this morning meet Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Stoltenberg touched down in New Zealand yesterday and will depart later today.

Ardern is expected to discuss with Stoltenberg the Nato-led mission in Afghanistan in which New Zealand contributes 13 Defence Force personnel, mainly trainers in the Afghanistan National Army Officer Academy.

Stoltenberg was in Christchurch yesterday, where he laid a wreath at Al Noor Mosque to express his solidarity and sympathy for those involved in the March 15 terror attacks.

Countries must work together to stop the spread of hateful ideologies, he said.

"These attacks are committed by lone wolves but they are at the same time connected because they use each other as inspiration and they refer to each other in the different manifestos, and I think we have to fight terrorism in many different ways."

Ardern said Stoltenberg's visit was an opportunity to discuss global security challenges such as terrorism, maritime security and cybersecurity, as well as ways to boost the involvement of women in peace and security initiatives.

"New Zealand has supported Nato-led efforts to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan since 2001 and in June we refocused our deployment to reduce personnel on the ground and pursue new positions to enhance the involvement of women, including in peace negotiations and post-conflict processes," Ardern said.

"Mr Stoltenberg is visiting New Zealand for the first time in his role as Nato Secretary-General, having previously visited as Norwegian Prime Minister."