Peters meets Russian counterpart in Moscow

New Zealand and Russia will look at ways to simplify travel between the two countries to boost business and people to people contact, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says.

He has just been in Moscow, where he met Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

Mr Peters said Mr Lavrov had commended New Zealand's involvement in the Pacific, Afghanistan and Russia, where New Zealand is supporting the G8 programme to destroy stocks of chemical weapons.

"We need to acknowledge Russia's continuing importance in world affairs. It was clear from the discussions today that there is interest on both sides in building up bilateral links including consultation on foreign policy and looking at ways of simplifying travel arrangements between New Zealand and Russia, to boost business and people to people contacts," Mr Peters said.

Mr Peters went from Moscow to Kyiv, where he is making the first visit by a New Zealand foreign minister to the Ukraine.

- NZPA