Dear John

The Dom Post reports:

United States President Barack Obama has written to Prime Minister John Key before a crucial gathering of world leaders in New York next week.

Mr Key revealed he had the letter, but would say only that it was in response to one he had written to Mr Obama “on a couple of things that we’re doing”.

He said the response was about the relationship in general but would not go into further detail. …

But Mr Key revealed that talks are already under way on a White House visit: “It will happen, all the signs are very positive.”

The last trip to the White House by a New Zealand leader was last year, when former prime minister Helen Clark made her second visit.

Mr Key said New Zealand had not been pushing for an earlier visit, and believed it better to wait till there was something positive to report on the trade front. There were high hopes toward the end of the Bush administration that progress would finally be made on the much-coveted free trade deal, after negotiations toward a trans-Pacific partnership were announced.

Positive news on the trade front would be good.