Prime Minister Burnham said he expected to find "common ground" with Donald Trump when the two meet for the first time in New York, ahead of the prime minister's address to the UN General Assembly.
The meeting comes as Burnham prepares to deliver a speech to the General Assembly that is expected to centre on the governance and global implications of artificial intelligence. Officials have signalled the speech will seek to place AI higher on the international agenda.
Burnham framed the New York visit as an opportunity to engage on a range of global issues and to build constructive working relationships. He said the encounter with Trump would be an initial step in what his office described as a broader diplomatic push while he is in the city.
Observers say the pairing of a bilateral meeting with a high-profile UN speech is a common diplomatic approach to amplify a leader's priorities on the world stage. Burnham's focus on AI reflects growing attention among governments to the technology's economic, security and ethical dimensions.
No detailed agenda for the meeting with Trump was released, and officials have not provided further specifics about the bilateral talks. The prime minister's UN speech, by contrast, is expected to outline policy priorities and call for international cooperation on AI oversight and standards.
The visit underlines how national leaders are increasingly combining multilateral engagements at the UN with separate, often quick, bilateral encounters to advance their national interests and set the tone for future cooperation.