Wellington - New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark announced Friday that she will go to Japan and South Korea this month for top-level meetings with her counterparts to promote closer co-operation.

She is scheduled to meet Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and senior members of his cabinet on May 14.

Clark said New Zealand's long-standing relationship with Japan, its third largest export market, was one of her country's most important, with two-way trade of 7.3 billion New Zealand dollars (about 5.7 billion US dollars).

She described the two democracies as natural partners within the dynamic Asia-Pacific region, adding, "It is important for Japan and New Zealand to ensure that our political and economic relationship keeps pace with developments in the wider region."

Clark will meet South Korea's newly-elected President Lee Myung-bak and senior cabinet ministers in Seoul on May 16.

She said New Zealand's relationship with South Korea was founded on strong political, economic and security links and she would seek Lee's commitment to a shared vision for deepening the already strong and warm relationship.

New Zealand was firmly committed to the stability of the Korean Peninsula, Clark said, and she would reiterate support for the Six Party Talks process and denuclearisation. (dpa)