A top member of US President Joe Biden's government will visit New Zealand next week for bilateral meetings and to attend the FIFA Women's World Cup.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Wellingon on July 26 and 27 and will meet formally with Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta.
He will also meet with Prime Minister Chris Hipkins.
Mahuta said the United States was a "close friend and partner" of New Zealand and was "delighted" to host Blinken on his first official visit to New Zealand.
"Our countries have a strong and longstanding relationship, which is based on close cooperation across our many shared values and issues of strategic interest to us both."
She said she looked forward to "productive discussions" with Blinken on global and regional security issues that mattered to both countries.
That included the USA and New Zealand's "wider bilateral relationship", the war in Ukraine, climate change, Pacific resilience and regional economic recovery, she said.
"I'm confident this visit will further our strong relationship and it continues to grow from strength to strength."
Blinken will be welcomed to Wellington with an official pōwhiri at Parliament, and is expected to attend "sporting and cultural engagements" including the US women's football team in its match against the Netherlands.
Mahuta said co-hosting the FIFA Women's World Cup provided "a great opportunity through some good old-fashioned sports diplomacy to strengthen our international relationships".
The meeting will overlap with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the same dates. Albanese will also meet with Hipkins.
Albanese will come to New Zealand for the third official bilateral meeting between the two prime ministers, who met in Canberra and Brisbane earlier this year.
It will be Albanese's first official visit to New Zealand as prime minister.
Albanese and Hipkins are also expected to celebrate New Zealand and Australia co-hosting the FIFA Women's World Cup during the visit.
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