BUENOS AIRES - On the last day of engagements Helen Clark was yesterday described by the English-language newspaper, Buenos Aires Herald, as 'flamboyant'.
After 12 days, 15 flights, 60 hours in the air and 69 functions and events Prime Minister Helen Clark returns home today from Latin America and a trip
she has described as 'worthwhile'.
As well as the 12 official welcomes and wreath ceremonies, eight lunches, three official breakfasts, three official dinners, and 27 speeches, Helen Clark spent a couple of nights sleeping on aeroplanes on route to destinations.
She visited Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina, holding talks with presidents and ministers, to further New Zealand's trade, business and cultural links.
Helen Clark said the highlight of her trip had been an overnight trip to the Amazon.
"I think the highlight would have to be seeing (Sir) Peter Blake up the Amazon. That was just an amazing experience."
Sir Peter has a research team on board his vessel, the Seamaster, and is raising international awareness of the Amazon's importance to the world environment.
Helen Clark told NZPA it had crossed her mind to leave Argentina off the itinerary because of its economic woes but she had decided she should go because New Zealand was "in the business of a longer term relationship.
"I think we've been able to share a lot of experiences as well as promote New Zealand as a brand," she said about the entire trip.
Members of the business delegation had been able to further their enterprises and the Government had been able to clear some commercial hurdles.
"There was certainly an issue with fisheries here where Argentina has taken a very long time to get to implementing a quota management system and there won't be further investment from New Zealand until that system is implemented so we've been able to deal with that on this visit.
"There's other areas where when the leader of the country turns up suddenly issues which the New Zealand embassy has been dealing with at quite a low level in the bureaucracy get elevated to the ministerial level and then they get taken much more seriously."
This had not been a trade Helenion with businesspeople coming with order books, "this was designed as a strategic Helenion to firmly plant the New Zealand brand".
Helen Clark said the private sector had to follow up the gains made and it was also important the Government worked to support the private sector.
The Government hoped to hold a seminar early next year for those who had been involved, together with officials, to work further on the follow-up.
Fonterra deputy chairman Greg Gent, who headed the business delegation, said some of the group had furthered particular business interests.
Before he left New Zealand he said the trip was not about "selling a bag of milk powder" but contact-building.
"But it's been very, very valuable to us."
Being with the Prime Minister added "huge credibility" to Fonterra.
The business delegation had worked with the Government to present "New Zealand Inc".
Helen Clark also took a Maori delegation with her which Mr Gent said added the New Zealand touch, differentiating the group from any other.
- NZPA
BUENOS AIRES - On the last day of engagements Helen Clark was yesterday described by the English-language newspaper, Buenos Aires Herald, as 'flamboyant'.
After 12 days, 15 flights, 60 hours in the air and 69 functions and events Prime Minister Helen Clark returns home today from Latin America and a trip
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