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Secretary of State John Kerry

I am delighted to be here - thank you for inviting me.

I well recall our first telephone conversation soon after your confirmation. We spoke of the urgent need to focus the debate and galvanise actions, to combat the rapid decline in global fish stocks, sea level rise, ocean acidification and the loss of biodiversity.

Thank you for being here.

It's great to be back in Washington, and to see so many friends of New Zealand here today.

I attended the first of these forums in April 2006 and each subsequent gathering.

I want to reflect briefly on how the role of this Forum has changed, just as the NZ/US relationship has changed and continues to change.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide such an important gathering with an update on New Zealand’s Foreign Policy.

I want to use this occasion to provide a quick review of the status of our relationships and from that base to look forward at some of the issues we will need to confront in the years immediately ahead.

I think I can report to you that all of our important relationships are in good repair.

University of Canterbury

Heads of State and Government, Ministers, members of the diplomatic community, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you for the opportunity to address you this morning.

I want to start by acknowledging the contribution John Henderson has made to our understanding of the Pacific.

I would also like to acknowledge the Macmillan Brown Centre's efforts to encourage New Zealanders to learn more about the Pacific.

Understanding the Pacific region is vitally important to New Zealand.

Today I want to focus on the fact that Small States are too often being marginalised in global politics. And this is happening too much at the UN.

We see this demonstrated often in the Security Council. But the problem is not just the Security Council. The problem exists more widely as well.

In recent years global politics have become more complex. The size of the international community has grown, and as a result more and more “big boys clubs” have emerged. For example we now have the G20.

The space for small states is being squeezed relentlessly.

Mr President

I bring greetings from the South Pacific.

For the past year New Zealand has had the privilege of chairing the Pacific Islands Forum - a regional body that represents some of the smallest and most vulnerable states on this planet.

For us this has been an important responsibility.

Because we are a small country with modest resources, we choose to focus much of our attention on our own region.

Over 60% of our ODA is spent in our own neighbourhood.

May I start by placing on record my thanks to Professor Bill Harris and his team from Otago University for inviting me to address the Otago Foreign Policy School once again.

I intend to speak about both the strategic and economic significance of the Middle East to New Zealand.

Sadly, we are reminded by our television screens most evenings that the Middle East remains the world’s major source of potential and actual conflict.

We now have, in effect, a civil war in Syria.

I want to begin by thanking the Institute for providing me with this opportunity to provide an update on the state of our UN Security Council campaign.

I intend to use the occasion to put on record the ground rules under which we are contesting a UN Security Council seat – because in some respects we appear to be testing what appears to have become conventional wisdom about such campaigns, and I want to make it clear that we are doing so with our eyes open.

Distinguished Guests, including Assistant Secretary of State Dr Esther Brimmer and, our moderator today, Mr Ernie Bower from the Center of Strategic and International Studies.

It gives me great pleasure to be here this afternoon on this important occasion.

Ties between the United States and the Pacific region go back as far as there has been a United States of America.

It seems appropriate that today we should acknowledge the role of the Pacific War in reinforcing and strengthening our relationship.

The Rt Hon Jim Bolger, Ambassador Huebner, Parliamentary colleagues past and present, distinguished guests: thank you for the opportunity to talk to you today about the strong and developing partnership between our country and the United States of America.

The ten years since the establishment of the NZ/US Council has seen the relationship gain remarkable momentum.

I want to personally thank the Council for its role in getting us to where we are today.

Next year the US/NZ Council, its American counterpart, will host the Partnership Forum in Washington DC.

The Rt Hon Jim Bolger, Ambassador Huebner, Parliamentary colleagues past and present, distinguished guests: thank you for the opportunity to talk to you today about the strong and developing partnership between our country and the United States of America.

The ten years since the establishment of the NZ/US Council has seen the relationship gain remarkable momentum.

I want to personally thank the Council for its role in getting us to where we are today.

Vice President Qin

Ambassadors

Distinguished guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

This year is a milestone year in which we celebrate 40 years of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and China.

I want to take this opportunity to reflect on this journey – from modest beginnings, to what is now far and away one of New Zealand’s most important relationships.

Let me be upfront and say that you could not get two more different countries in the world.

I welcome this opportunity to speak to you about New Zealand’s trade and economic relationship with the Middle East and in particular the Gulf States, and to briefly look at the way in which we might move forward.

There are, of course, a range of other very significant trade and economic relationships in the Middle East, but I have decided to focus my remarks today on the Gulf States, which come together under the Gulf Cooperation Council umbrella, and which are connected to New Zealand by extraordinarily good air services.