Wellington, Jun 6 (IANS): New Zealand Chris Hipkins on Tuesday announced that his Fijian counterpart Sitiveni Rabuka has arrived in the country, marking his official visit in 25 years.

"Prime Minister Rabuka officially visited New Zealand in 1998 over 25 years ago, and we look forward to welcoming him here once again," Hipkins said.

New Zealand and Fiji have a long-standing relationship based on close cooperation in areas of mutual interest such as climate change, and ensuring a safe, secure and economically prosperous Pacific region, Xinhua news agency quoted the Prime Minister as saying.

While in New Zealand, Rabuka will undertake a series of formal engagements in Auckland and Wellington, including bilateral meetings and a ceremonial visit to the National War Memorial and Pacific War Memorial.

Rabuka was first democratically elected as Prime Minister of Fiji, serving from 1992 to 1999, and again in 2022, leading a three-party coalition.