KEY POINTS:
Prime Minister Helen Clark says the visit to New Zealand by United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice couldn't have gone better.
And she said Dr Rice's description of New Zealand as an "ally" was a reflection of a new security paradigm.
"They obviously came to make it clear this was a relationship they valued and I think it couldn't have gone better, actually," Helen Clark said last night.
Neither side expected any tangible outcome from the visit. It was considered a seal on a rapidly improving relationship.
Helen Clark did not believe the donation issue that hung over Foreign Minister Winston affected the visit.
"'I don't think it overshadowed in any way the substance of what was happening."
Dr Rice was effusive in her praise of New Zealand at various points of her two-night, one-day visit.
She said in a speech to the NZ-US Council at the Auckland Museum that the United States and New Zealand had a long history of partnership grounded in common interests "but it is elevated by common ideals".
At a press conference she described New Zealand as "a friend and an ally".
And asked about resuming military exercises with New Zealand, she said if there were any further issues that needed addressing, they could be looked at.
"I see this relationship as having moved very far forward," Dr Rice said.
"If there are further impediments to what we need to do, I think we can always look at those and what more we need to do.
"But I can tell you that the attitude in Washington, of this Administration - and here I speak very strongly for the President - is that New Zealand is a good partner and we are working very well together."
Dr Rice praised the role New Zealand and Foreign Minister Winston Peters played in the denuclearisation of North Korea and she remarked on "the leadership" New Zealand gave in the Pacific Islands Forum.
But she reserved her strongest comments for what she described as "the very good work you are doing on the front lines of freedom in Afghanistan".
It was similar to a phrase she used to describe previous conflicts in which New Zealand and United States citizens "stood shoulder to shoulder throughout the last century to be on the front lines in defence of freedom".
Speaking about New Zealand's provincial reconstruction team in Bamyan province, Dr Rice said, "It is extraordinary what you are doing there".
"It has been a model of success. It is one of those models that we are actually trying to extend with best practices so that others can see it."
New Zealand lost its formal ally status when its involvement in the Anzus defence pact was suspended.
Helen Clark said the United States' description of the word ally was linked to the "post 9-11 security paradigm".
"I just think they are taking a much broader view now. It is taking into account the new security paradigm where people have come together to work in Afghanistan, on terrorism issues generally, proliferation security initiative, to name just three things, where there hasn't needed to be a formal alliance but where there has been common cause."
Both Helen Clark and Mr Peters raised the issue of a free trade agreement with Dr Rice, but her term runs out on January 20 next year.
"We continue to look favourably to see what more we can do."
Helen Clark, asked about the next steps in the relationship, said she was "pretty satisfied with where it is resting right now".
"It has enabled a level of dialogue to happen which really wasn't happening before."
Annual talks of the sort that Australia had would be "a fantastic development" but she would understand if the United States had too many of them to add to.
A demonstration of about 100 people was audible from Government House in Auckland on Saturday where the talks were held.
