KEY POINTS:
Senior New Zealand ministers yesterday emerged from talks with counterparts from some of the world's most powerful economies with renewed confidence in the world's ability to negotiate climate change and trade agreements.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Trade Minister Phil Goff both reported optimism from meetings of ministers from the 21 members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum ahead of this weekend's leaders' summit.
Both also reported new warmth from the United States, despite American and Australian determination to insert nuclear energy into the global climate change agenda against Wellington's opposition.
Mr Peters said Apec was an important step in the increasing international momentum for a global pact on climate change and dismissed suggestions that divisions at the forum reflected a wider inability to reach agreement.
"The discussion isn't over yet and here at Apec it's not over by a long shot," he said. "We'll get there, quicker than you think."
Mr Peters also played down the prospect of New Zealand being isolated over nuclear energy by the policies of such major players as the US and China, which intends building dozens of plants to reduce its dependence on coal.
"This is not an option we prefer ourselves," he said. "It is part of the discussion but whether it's part of the solution is a totally different matter, and let's see how things develop here."
Mr Goff said he was confident there was a prospect of progress in the stalled World Trade Organisation's Doha negotiating round, despite the very real problems that had brought the talks close to the point of collapse.
He was hopeful that the Apec leaders would send a strong and significant message to Geneva to jolt negotiators back on track.
And both ministers emerged smiling from meetings with their American counterparts.
Mr Peters said his meeting with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had been "very warm, very positive", covering the Pacific and New Zealand's contribution to Afghanistan.
He had been impressed by Dr Rice's knowledge of New Zealand's activities in the Pacific.
"She was effusive about American appreciation for our work in the Pacific, the serious role that we play, and she volunteered that," Mr Peters said.
After meeting US Trade Representative Susan Schwab, Mr Goff said he had been encouraged by Washington's WTO negotiating position. Although no free trade agreement was at present in the wind, he was hopeful New Zealand would be included when a new list of FTA prospects was drawn up.
