31 May 2017

US Secretary of State to visit NZ

12:33 pm on 31 May 2017

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will visit New Zealand next week.

Foreign Affairs Minister Gerry Brownlee said the visit was an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Saudi Arabia on 20 May 2017.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Saudi Arabia on 20 May 2017. Photo: AFP

Mr Tillerson will meet Prime Minister Bill English and Mr Brownlee in Wellington next Tuesday.

Mr Brownlee said they would discuss some of the world's most pressing issues.

He said New Zealand and America shared a deep interest in maintaining peace, prosperity and stability in the Asia Pacific region, and had worked closely together to counter terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mr Tillerson, 64, spent his entire career working for the world's most valuable, publicly-traded oil company, Exxon Mobil.

He worked his way up to becoming chief executive officer and was set to retire when President Donald Trump tapped him up for one of his government's biggest roles.