A first combined Defence and Foreign Affairs Ministerial summit for New Zealand, across the Tasman.

Winston Peters and Judith Collins have top-level meetings with their Australian counterparts, Penny Wong and Richard Marles, in Government buildings in Melbourne.

ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Winston Peters has a history of building international relationships and connections.

"New Zealand has to be involved internationally at the moment, because we are in a very strategic part of the world at the moment." 

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