Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Singapore and Japan starting 5 July 2026, meeting senior officials in both countries to discuss regional partnerships.
Peters departs on 5 July and returns on 12 July. In Singapore he will meet Foreign Minister Balakrishnan and other senior leaders, while in Japan he will hold talks with political figures and business leaders.
The visit will include discussions on deepening connections between ASEAN and Pacific regions. Singapore is chairing ASEAN in 2026-2027, and New Zealand will host the Pacific Islands Forum in 2027. Peters said "with Singapore chairing ASEAN and New Zealand hosting the Pacific Islands Forum in 2027, we look forward to discussing how we can maximise our mutually beneficial relationship by deepening connections between our regions".
The Singapore leg will include discussions on the New Zealand-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and regional and global challenges. Peters described Singapore as "a great friend of New Zealand".
In Japan, Peters will discuss long-term investment by Japanese firms in meetings with business leaders. Japan is New Zealand's fourth largest export market. The two countries cooperate on deployment of defence assets to monitor UN sanctions on North Korea. Peters said "in the increasingly contested and complex world, our work together is more important than ever".