Two top-ranking British Cabinet Ministers will visit New Zealand next week to hold talks with the Government.

It was announced today that Foreign Secretary William Hague and Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox will meet their New Zealand counterparts Murray McCully and Wayne Mapp from Thursday.



"The Asia-Pacific region is developing rapidly and this visit indicates Britain's increased interest in the region," Dr Mapp said.



"The visit by Defence Secretary Fox will provide an opportunity for us to review our co-operation."



The two-day visit will be the first to New Zealand by Hague and Fox, who will be joined by UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir David Richards.



The Ministers are due to arrive in Auckland on Thursday and will take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Auckland War Memorial before a formal reception hosted by McCully.



Prime Minister John Key will host a dinner for the ministers and General Richards during the visit.



"We will be discussing political, economic and security issues where we have common interests," McCully said.



"The relationship that New Zealand has with the UK is one of our oldest and closest. I am looking forward to discussing areas where our countries can do more together."



Hague is a former leader of the ruling British Conservative Party.



His appointment as Foreign Secretary was the first made by British Prime Minister David Cameron. Hague's first meeting in his role in May last year was with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who also visited New Zealand late last year.



Key cancelled a planned trip to Europe, which would have included a meeting with Cameron, after the Canterbury earthquake in September last year.



Key is expected to make a visit to the UK later this year.