British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will make his first official visit to New Zealand this week with stops in Wellington and Kaikoura.
Johnson, the flamboyant, tousled blonde former mayor of London, arrives today and will hold talks on trade, foreign policy and international security during the two-day visit.
He will meet Prime Minister Bill English, Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee and other senior politicians and his agenda includes unveiling the UK War Memorial in Wellington's Pukeahu
National War Memorial Park.
Johnson will also travel to Kaikoura to thank the community for helping out Britons trapped in the town following last year's earthquake.
"Britain and New Zealand share a long standing and historic friendship so I'm delighted to be here to see for myself how we work together on so many issues and how we can build on these links," Johnson said in a statement released by the British High Commission in Wellington.
"Last year, the people of Kaikoura opened their homes and their hearts to British travellers who were in distress after the devastating earthquake, and I am pleased to be able to express personally our gratitude."
Johnson will travel to Sydney later in the week.
- NZ News