PERUVIAN PRESIDENT TO VISIT NEW ZEALAND

President Alberto Fujimori of Peru is to make a state visit to New Zealand from June 11 to 13, Prime Minister Jenny Shipley announced today.

President Fujimori will be the first Peruvian Head of State to visit New Zealand.

Mrs Shipley said Peru was a long-standing dairy market for New Zealand, but other trade and investment opportunities were beginning to open up under President Fujimori's outward-looking economic policies.

"President Fujimori's visit will help our bilateral relationship to a new level, and follows soon after Foreign Minister Don McKinnon's visit to Peru this week," Mrs Shipley said.

"Peru has also just become a new member of APEC and will have its first full year of membership while New Zealand holds the chair in 1999. I look forward to discussing APEC questions with the President as well as bilateral and regional issues of economic concern.

"As southern neighbours, we share views on many international issues and have similar concerns in areas such as Antarctica and the Southern Ocean environment."

President Fujimori's visit will take him to Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton and Auckland.