New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully will pay a visit to South Korea this week to push negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement.
McCully said Tuesday that he would hold talks in Seoul with Foreign Minister Yun Byung-Se to help advance the South Korea-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement negotiations.
"The negotiations are at a critical juncture. My visit to Seoul will allow me to highlight the New Zealand government's view that a free trade agreement is an essential part of our relationship with Korea," McCully said in a statement.
McCully would then travel to Dubrovnik to attend the Croatia Forum and lobby Balkan and European leaders on New Zealand's bid for a United Nations Security Council seat in 2015-2016.
"The Croatia Forum is attended by ministers from around the region, leaders from European Union institutions, and representatives from organizations such as the World Bank and NATO. "
He would also travel to Montenegro to meet Foreign Minister Igor Luksic, and to Georgia to meet Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze.
"My visits to Montenegro and Georgia will be the first by a New Zealand foreign minister. These visits will help to strengthen New Zealand's growing relationships in this part of the world and demonstrate our commitment to engaging with small states," McCully said.