Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will visit New Zealand next week and meet with Prime Minister Chris Hipkins.
Albanese will be in New Zealand to mark a number of milestones, including the 40th anniversary of the two countries' Closer Economic Relations (CER), the 50th anniversary of the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement and 80 years of diplomatic representation.
"I believe that the trans-Tasman relationship is the strongest it has been in decades," Hipkins said in announcing the visit.
"In both Australia and Prime Minister Albanese, New Zealand has a close friend and ally, so I'm very pleased to host him here during this year of milestone anniversaries."
Albanese will be in New Zealand for one night from July 26 to 27. It will be the third official bilateral meeting between the two and Albanese's first official visit to New Zealand since becoming Prime Minister last year.
Hipkins said the visit would allow the countries to recognise their past achievements, celebrate progress made this year and "set ambition for where Australia and New Zealand want to go next".
In April, the Australian Government announced a new direct pathway to citizenship for eligible New Zealanders, something Hipkins at the time called a "historic decision" which would "bring the two countries closer together".
Albanese's administration earlier this year also signed off on changes to Australia's 501 immigration policy which has for years caused friction in the New Zealand-Australia relationship. They mean the Australian Government must consider the length of time someone has lived in Australia before deciding whether to deport them.
"This visit will provide me with another opportunity to thank Prime Minister Albanese for his instrumental role in one of this year's major achievements: the announcement of the new direct pathway to citizenship for New Zealanders living in Australia, which came into effect this month," Hipkins said in a statement.
In a separate speech at the Australia-New Zealand Leadership Forum celebration of the 40 years of CER on Wednesday night, Hipkins said the CER agreements had become the "cornerstone" of the two countries' relationship.
"The depth of integration between our economies and the volume and ease of bilateral trade and investment, alongside the people flows facilitated by the trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement, are built on our historical partnership and our shared language and values."
He said the new citizenship pathway for Kiwis in Australia had been a "historic breakthrough" and he had appreciated "constructive conversations" with Albanese on the 501 deportation issue.
"For some time these issues had been one of the few points of difference in an otherwise strong relationship," he said.
"But at the citizenship ceremony I attended in Brisbane just before ANZAC day, Australia opened its arms to the hard-working and law-abiding New Zealanders who have chosen to call Australia home.
"It was a special moment that tightened the bonds between our two countries, and we decided to celebrate via our countries' shared tradition of a barbecue."
The pair will also celebrate the FIFA Women's World Cup, which New Zealand and Australia are co-hosting this month.
"The FIFA Women's World Cup is an example of how our countries work together to deliver on the world stage, and is a clear demonstration of our two countries' strong commitment to gender equality and fairness," said Hipkins.
