Prime Minister John Key has been invited to visit US President Barack Obama at the White House this winter.
Foreign Minister Murray McCully announced the invitation today after he met US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington for talks.
"Secretary Clinton did make a statement in her media comment afterwards expressing the strong hope that there would be a visit by the Prime Minister to the White House," Mr McCully told Radio New Zealand.
"She said that President Obama was looking forward to welcoming Prime Minister Key to the White House in the American summer and, it's fair to say, that privately they have also expressed the strong view that despite the Prime Minister's busy timetable that he will be able to find time to come across to the United States."
Mr McCully said the traffic would be two-way, as a large US delegation was expected for post Pacific Islands Forum dialogue in New Zealand on September 9. He expected many in the group to go to Rugby World Cup games.
They also talked about New Zealand's role in Afghanistan and discussed Pacific affairs, including the latest Fiji controversy.
Questions have been raised about the Fijian regime's stability following public statements by ex-Fiji Royal Military Force chief of staff Lieutenant Colonel Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara, who fled to Tonga after being charged with sedition.
Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama, who came into power in Fiji following a coup in 2006, has declared the former army commander a fugitive and accused the Royal Tongan Navy of illegally picking him up in a patrol boat in Fijian waters last week.
Fiji has begun a legal process to extradite Lt Col Mara.
Lt Col Mara yesterday questioned why New Zealand and Australia were not doing more to stop the commodore.
Mr McCully said Mrs Clinton was interested in New Zealand's perspective.
"They were happy to accept our interpretation that this meant things had become more difficult for the commodore inside Fiji, that one of his key players had deserted him for pretty solid reasons but also that we were going to need to see some common sense prevail to reduce tension within the region.
"To that extent I think we all admire the very sensible stance being adopted by the Tongan Prime Minister who rather than being goaded into conflict is talking about proper legal process and independent courts."
Mr McCully and US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano signed a joint statement on global supply chain security. The countries agreed to pursue customs and border initiatives aimed at protecting the supply chain system from terrorism.
"New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific region play an increasingly prominent role in our global commerce and within the global supply chain," Ms Napolitano said.
"This joint statement allows the United States and New Zealand to build upon our existing efforts to enhance international supply chain security and paves the way for future collaboration between our nations."
Mr McCully said New Zealand welcomed improved standards and practices around export supplies and border security.
The arrangement also streamlined international standards to facilitate trade and will further extend the recently improved Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA).
Under the MRA members of the New Zealand's Secure Exports Scheme have greater certainty about the movement of their goods through the United States border and quicker access to the United States market, a benefit that no other country in the world has.
