KEY POINTS:
Foreign Minister Winston Peters leaves tomorrow on a two-week visit of South America.
He will go to Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay -- the priority countries under the Government's Latin America strategy.
Mr Peters will meet Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva, Argentine foreign minister Jorge Taiana and Uruguay's foreign minister Reinaldo Gargano.
He is also expected to meet Uruguay's president Tabare Vazquez.
Mr Peters said New Zealand's links with Brazil -- South America's largest country -- had grown since it opened an embassy there in 2001.
Brazil was a valuable partner for New Zealand on many multilateral issues "and there is huge scope for expanding the economic and political relationship".
In Argentina there was an obvious affinity for New Zealand would could be built on at the highest levels, he said.
The working holiday scheme, which began in 2003, had been a great success with 1000 young Argentines coming to New Zealand each year.
"The visit to Uruguay comes at a time of increased New Zealand investment in Uruguay's agricultural sector," he said.
In Uruguay, Mr Peters will also visit sites commemorating New Zealand's involvement in the Battle of the River Plate during World War 2 which saw the German pocket battleship Graf Spee scuttled.
- NZPA
