New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully will meet with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton when he visits Washington on April 6-8.

"The United States is one of New Zealand's oldest friends. We share common values and interests, as well as a commitment to promoting a free, democratic and secure world," McCully said in a statement released here on Wednesday.

He said he will discuss with the U.S. secretary of state the bilateral cooperation in the Pacific, the global financial crisis, the role of international trade, New Zealand's involvement in Afghanistan, and the U.S. role in the Asia Pacific region.

During his stay in Washington, McCully will chair a session of a ministerial meeting of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting. The Antarctic Treaty is 50 years old this year and up to 30 foreign ministers are expected in Washington to mark the anniversary.

McCully will also meet members of the U.S.-New Zealand Council, which will host the next Partnership Forum between New Zealand and the United States in October, and he hoped to meet with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

Before heading to the United States, McCully will attend a high-level conference on Afghanistan in The Hague next Tuesday.

Source:Xinhua