New Zealand PM Hipkins to travel to Papua New Guinea for United States–Pacific Summit

FILE PHOTO: New Zealand's Prime Minister Chris Hipkins speaks to the media, after his meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Downing Street in London, Britain May 5, 2023. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand's Prime Minister Chris Hipkins will head to Papua New Guinea on May 21 to attend the United States-Pacific Summit, his office said in a statement on Thursday.

U.S. President Joe Biden will attend the summit along with leaders of 17 other Pacific countries.

This will be Hipkin's first visit to the Pacific since becoming leader in January and also his first in-person meeting with Biden.

(Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)