New Zealand Prime Minister John Key meets with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera in Santiago. Photo / supplied
Christchurch's recovery and management of the Antarctic were among the issues Prime Minister John Key discussed with Chile's President Sebastian Pinera today.
Mr Key went straight to the President 's Palace from his flight from Colombia for the 9pm local time meeting. It was the second time the meeting had
been changed because Mr Pinera planned to travel to Caracas tomorrow for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez' funeral, and Mr Key thanked him for finding the time.
After meeting, Mr Pinera said the two countries had a "profound and fruitful" relationship, while Mr Key said Chile was New Zealand's best friend in Latin America.
One of the first issues Mr Pinera asked about was Christchurch's recovery. He said that natural phenomena were another thing the two countries had in common. Chile had a major earthquake in 2010, a year before Christchurch.
He also said New Zealand and Chile would work more closely over the Antarctic, "we can use our forces to turn our countries into a gateway for the great white country."
