The director of the CIA was one of the world's top spy chiefs who visited New Zealand this week to attended the secret celebrations of our Security Intelligence Service's 50th birthday.
CIA director General Michael Hayden along with spy chiefs from Australia, Britain and Canada were invited tothe celebrations, The Dominion Post reported today.
A spokesman for SIS minister Helen Clark said the gathering was part of ongoing liaison between the New Zealand intelligence community and its international counterparts.
"In this case the catalyst has been the 50th anniversary of the New Zealand SIS and the heads of all counterpart agencies have been here," the spokesman said.
He would not give details of the talks or the celebrations.
"We don't comment on security matters."
Gen Hayden, former head of the US National Security Agency, was appointed as CIA director by president George Bush this year.
He arrived on Monday on a United States Air Force C-17 Globemaster jet, which flew out of Wellington Airport yesterday.
Others on the guest list included directors-general David Irvine of the Australian SIS, Paul O'Sullivan of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Jim Judd of the Canadian SIS, John Scarlett of Britain's M16 and Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller of M15.
