New Zealand is committed to building deeper relationships with its Pacific neighbors.

NZ Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters made those remarks ahead of his Pacific tour.

Peters is leading a New Zealand Government delegation on a Pacific regional visit this week.

Speaking to Radio Tarana, Peters says climate change will be one of the major topics on the Agenda during his Pacific tour.

“We are taking MPs from both the Labour Party and the national party and the New Zealand first party and the purpose is to extend our understanding of the serious concerns that the island nations have on for example issues like climate change and their permanent existence where they are.”

He also raised concerns with the high number of drug cases in Fiji.

Peters says NZ and Fijian authorities can increase intelligence input to deal with this.

“What we going to talk to them about is how we can beef up our intelligence when it comes to matters to do with crime surveillance is taken across our borders so we can share information and be far safer than protecting the safety and security of mutual populations.”

He adds past experiences with Fijian administration has been left behind.

The New Zealand delegation will arrive in Fiji tomorrow.

The delegation includes Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio, Associate Minister for Pacific Peoples, Carmel Sepuloni, and parliamentarians Poto Williams, Alfred Ngaro, and Darroch Ball.

After Fiji, the delegation is scheduled to travel to Tuvalu and Kiribati on a NZ Defence Force C-130 plane.