Prime Minister for Australia, New Zealand

The prime minister is expected to leave tomorrow for a two-week visit to Australia and New Zealand, where he will lead an official delegation.

Dr Fenech Adami will be accompanied by deputy prime minister Lawrence Gonzi, the prime minister's personal assistant, Richard Cachia Caruana and Remigio Bartolo, Dr Gonzi's private secretary.

The visit to New Zealand is official, the tour of Australia is a working visit.

Malta and Australia have signed several agreements but no bilateral accords have yet been signed with New Zealand.

In Australia, Dr Fenech Adami is scheduled to visit Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, where he will meet Maltese communities and several associations, including Australian-Maltese football clubs.

He is also scheduled to have a number of official meetings, including one with Australian prime minister John Howard.

In New Zealand, Dr Fenech Adami is set to visit Auckland and Wellington where he will meet the governor general of New Zealand, Dame Silvia Cartwright, prime minister Helen Clark and opposition leader Bill English, as well as the Maltese communities.

The government delegation is the first one to visit the newly formed New Zealand government.