The Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson will dock next month in New Zealand, marking the first U.S. warship to visit the nation in over three decades.
Prime Minister John Key announced Tuesday he approved the visit, allowing the Arleigh-Burke class destroyer to attend the Royal New Zealand Navy’s 75th anniversary celebrations, the New Zealand Herald reported.
"I have granted this approval after careful consideration of the advice provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade," Key said Tuesday.
New Zealand’s nuclear-free law, formally passed in 1987, allows the prime minister to grant authorization only if the visiting ship is not nuclear armed or powered. While foreign countries are not required to confirm or deny whether their vessels are nuclear armed, the U.S. has chosen not to send any ship after it effectively suspended New Zealand from the Anzus security alliance in 1985, downgrading their military relationship. The move came after New Zealand refused to allow a U.S. destroyer to visit the country in 1985.
The USS Sampson will travel to New Zealand from Nov. 17 to 22. The New Zealand government extended the invitation to the U.S. Navy during Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to the country in July.