Anthony Albanese will make his first official trip across the ditch to celebrate a year of special anniversaries for Australia and New Zealand.
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Mr Albanese will visit Wellington next week to mark the 40th anniversary of the free-trade agreement known as Closer Economic Relations, 50th anniversary of the trans-Tasman travel arrangement and 80th anniversary of diplomatic representation.
It will be Mr Albanese's third bilateral meeting with his counterpart Prime Minister Chris Hipkins.
"Australia and New Zealand share close ties and will mark important milestones this year in our trans-Tasman relationship," Mr Albanese said.
"I look forward to continuing to work with Prime Minister Hipkins on ways to strengthen the special relationship Australia and New Zealand share."
Mr Hipkins said the trans-Tasman relationship was the strongest it had been in decades.
"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," he said.
"Prime Minister Albanese's visit is a chance to recognise our past achievements, to celebrate the progress we have made this year and to set ambition for where Australia and New Zealand want to go next."
Mr Hipkins described the Australia-New Zealand trade deal as the gold standard and a cornerstone of the relationship.
But he said further work would be needed to ensure people and goods could continue to move freely across the Tasman.
"Regulatory alignment is essential for reducing friction and enabling our businesses to do what they do best," he told the Australia-New Zealand Leadership Forum on Wednesday.
The two prime ministers will also celebrate Australia and New Zealand co-hosting the FIFA Women's World Cup, which kicks off on Thursday.
Australian Associated Press
