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Boris Johnson has compared New Zealand's traditional Maori greeting to a headbutt.

The Foreign Secretary, who is on a two-day trip to the country, suggested the customary pressing of noses, known as the hongi, is like a "Glasgow kiss".

Mr Johnson began his visit at a Maori meeting house, called a marae, in Kaikoura, South Island, on Monday.

After greeting a Maori elder, the Cabinet minister said: "Thank you for teaching me the hongi, I think it is a beautiful form of introduction, though it might be misinterpreted in a pub in Glasgow if you were to try it."

The former London mayor also joked "the marae has a tradition of strong female leadership, which we also have back home" in a reference to Prime Minister Theresa May.

The trip is Mr Johnson's first visit to New Zealand, which he described as "the most mind-blowingly, mind-numbingly beautiful country that I've ever seen".

Known as the filming location for the Lord of the Rings series, Mr Johnson added the country is "probably the only landscape that I can think of that can conceivably do justice to the imagination of J.R.R. Tolkien".

The Foreign Secretary also unveiled a new war memorial in the capital Wellington, before talks with New Zealand's Prime Minister Bill English, in which Mr Johnson was due to push for progress on a post-Brexit trade deal.

He said: "Britain and New Zealand share a long standing and historic friendship so I'm delighted to be here to see for myself how we work together on so many issues and how we can build on these links.

"My visit comes just after around 25,000 Brits came here to cheer for the British and Irish Lions, and the warm welcome they received shows just how close the relationship between our people is."

Mr Johnson's time as Britain's top diplomat has been marked by a series of gaffes.

Earlier this year, the Foreign Secretary when he claimed a trade deal with India would boost sales of whiAG百家乐在线官网, seemingly unaware the drinking of alcohol is forbidden under many Sikh teachings.

Last year, Mrs May slapped down Mr Johnson when he .

An Italian minister also ridiculed the senior Tory by .