Prime Minister John Key today announced that Singapore President Tony Tan will visit New Zealand next week.

President Tan and his delegation arrive on Monday for a series of events including an official welcome at Government House in Wellington hosted by the Governor-General, as well as events in Christchurch.

“Next month marks 50 years of New Zealand and Singapore’s diplomatic relations and I am pleased we will mark this occasion with a visit from Singapore’s Head of State,” Mr Key says.

Prime Minister John Key has tonight congratulated Justin Trudeau on his victory in the Canadian election.

“New Zealand and Canada have a longstanding and important friendship which has seen us work closely together over many years on a wide range of issues.

“Canada is a longstanding security partner, an important destination for New Zealand exports and an important source of direct investment into New Zealand.

Prime Minister John Key today released further details of the visit to New Zealand next month by Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.

The Prince and Duchess will visit Wellington, Dunedin, Nelson, Westport, Ngaruawahia, New Plymouth and Auckland from Nov 4-10.

“I am delighted The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are visiting New Zealand. It will be the Prince’s ninth visit to New Zealand and the Duchess’s second,’’ says Mr Key.

Prime Minister John Key will travel to Marrakech, Brussels and London for a series of high level meetings and to chair a meeting of the International Democrat Union (IDU). 

In Marrakech, Mr Key will chair a meeting of the Executive Committee of the International Democrat Union, before travelling on to Brussels where he will meet with President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, and President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker.

Prime Minister John Key today announced Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will make an official visit to New Zealand next week.  

Prime Minister Turnbull and delegation will arrive in Auckland on Friday afternoon ahead of his bilateral meeting with Mr Key on Saturday.

“I am delighted to host Prime Minister Turnbull in his first overseas visit as the new Prime Minister of Australia,” says Mr Key.   

Prime Minister John Key has visited New Zealand troops at Iraq’s Camp Taji.

Mr Key also met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and President Fuad Masum in Baghdad to discuss the campaign to defeat ISIL, and New Zealand’s contribution to it.

More than 60 countries are involved in the international coalition against ISIL, with New Zealand committing up to 143 troops to the Building Partner Capacity mission in Taji, to train Iraqi soldiers, alongside Australia.

Prime Minister John Key has welcomed the successful conclusion of negotiations over the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement – New Zealand’s biggest free trade agreement.

“This agreement will give our exporters much better access to a market of more than 800 million customers in 11 countries across Asia and the Pacific, and help Kiwi firms do business overseas,” Mr Key says.

Prime Minister John Key has addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York, focusing on a call for action in Syria and on other conflicts, reform of the veto process and on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

The Prime Minister said the UN was the only organisation capable of focusing the world’s attention on the most pressing issues and finding ways to resolve them.

This was the reason New Zealand had fought so hard for a seat on the UN Security Council but Mr Key said real action was too often blocked by internal divisions.

Prime Minister John Key has announced the creation of a 620,000 km2 Ocean Sanctuary in the Kermadec region, one of the most pristine and unique environments on Earth.

“The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will be one of the world’s largest and most significant fully-protected areas, preserving important habitats for seabirds, whales and dolphins, endangered marine turtles and thousands of species of fish and other marine life,” Mr Key says.

Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism John Key has announced the Government is investing in five new projects to help grow the tourism sector in New Zealand.

“Tourism is New Zealand’s second largest export earner and has a crucial role in growing our economy.  The industry is in great shape and we want to keep that momentum going,” says Mr Key. 

Through the Tourism Growth Partnership Fund, the Government is investing $1.1 million in five new projects across New Zealand.

The projects are:

Prime Minister and Tourism Minister John Key has today announced the appointment of Raewyn Idoine to the New Zealand Tourism Board.

Mrs Idoine has an extensive background in the tourism industry having established the Sir George Seymour National College of Tourism and Travel, Natcoll.

“Raewyn’s in depth knowledge of tourism training adds a fresh perspective as we continue the push towards our goal of raising the total value of tourism to $41 billion by 2025.

Prime Minister John Key will join an expected 160 other leaders from around the world at the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week.

Participation by world leaders and heads of state during Leaders’ Week is expected to be higher this year than usual due to the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals and the fact it marks the 70^th anniversary of the UN.

A year on from the General Election, the National-led Government is delivering on its commitment to help all New Zealanders get ahead, says Prime Minister John Key.

“Our careful management of the books has meant we’ve been able to introduce new policies to support New Zealand families,” says Mr Key.

“We have extended free doctor’s visits and prescriptions to children aged under 13, extended paid parental leave, reduced ACC levies and we’re increasing benefit payments. 

Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism John Key has today announced the Government will invest $1.5 million to support the promotion of a new air service between Christchurch and China.

Through the Tourism Growth Partnership the Government will invest $1.5 million over three years to support Christchurch International Airport’s promotion of a new direct air service between Christchurch and Guangzhou.

Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism John Key has today announced the opening of the fourth funding round of the Tourism Growth Partnership.

“Under the Tourism Growth Partnership, the Government is making $8 million per annum available to boost innovation and lift productivity in the tourism sector to ensure New Zealand gains more from international visitors’ spend,” says Mr Key.

The Tourism Growth Partnership is a contestable co-investment fund that allows the Government to work in partnership with the tourism industry.

Prime Minister John Key has today congratulated Malcolm Turnbull on winning the leadership of the Australian Liberal Party and has acknowledged outgoing Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

"I will call Mr Turnbull today to offer my congratulations," says Mr Key.

“Australia remains New Zealand’s closest bilateral partner. We enjoy close ties in all areas of our relationship, including in the trade, economic, defence and sporting areas, and I am looking forward to working with Mr Turnbull to advance that.

Prime Minister John Key has announced that Peter Hobbs will be New Zealand’s newly appointed Trade Commissioner to Papua New Guinea.

Mr Key made the announcement today after he officially re-opened the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Office in Port Moresby.

“Papua New Guinea is the largest economy in the Pacific region and it is growing fast. It is New Zealand’s second largest trading partner in the Pacific, and there are already a number of New Zealand firms active in Papua New Guinea,” Mr Key says.

Prime Minister John Key has announced New Zealand will invest $50 million over the next three years to support the transformation of the Pacific fisheries sector.

“Fisheries are the most important natural resource for the majority of Pacific nations and more must be done to conserve stocks and boost returns from this resource,” Mr Key says.

Prime Minister John Key has today launched a new broadcasting initiative that will see more New Zealand television content and sports coverage provided to the Pacific free of charge.

“The Pacific broadcasting project will see up to eight hours of high quality content a day made available to Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Niue, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea,” Mr Key says.

Prime Minister John Key has today announced New Zealand will provide $1 billion in development assistance to the Pacific region over the next three years.

“New Zealand is a Pacific nation and we are committed to working with our closest neighbours to develop their economies and build a prosperous and stable region,” Mr Key says.

“Over the next three years we will increase the amount of development assistance we provide to the Pacific by $100 million, taking our total investment in the region to $1 billion.

Prime Minister John Key will lead a delegation to Papua New Guinea to attend the annual Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ meeting being held in Port Moresby.

“The Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ meeting is an opportunity for the region to come together and discuss the issues we jointly face,” says Mr Key.

“As a Pacific nation, New Zealand is committed to working with our closest neighbours to build a more secure and prosperous region.

Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism John Key today announced a further $935,000 will be invested to help complete the Alps 2 Ocean cycle trail.

“Once finished, the 310km trail will be a major tourism asset for the Waitaki and Mackenzie Districts, helping attract both local and international visitors to the area,” Mr Key says.

Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism John Key is delighted with today’s figures showing a record three million visitors came to New Zealand in the past year.

“This is a huge milestone for an industry that continues to excel and is a testament to that hard work and the fantastic New Zealand experience offered to those who visit our shores,” Mr Key says.

Mr Key says that in the year ending July 2015, those 3,002,982 visitors, 7 per cent more than last year, also spent a total of $8.7 billion - up 28 per cent on the previous 12 months.