Merkel world's best centre-right leader, says Key

Angela Merkel is 'formidable', says John Key. Photo / AP

She might not be Bo Derek but in political terms, John Key rates visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel as high as 10.

"You'd have to rank her as the Number 1 center-right leader in the world," he told the Herald.

"She has won three elections. She is formidable ... She's great company and she is hugely influential in Europe and I highly respect her."

Asked how excited he was about her visit to New Zealand on the eve of the G20 in Australia he said: "On a scale of one to 10, it's a nine or a 10."

Yesterday, he was at the annual East Asia Summit in Myanmar and two days before that, at the annual Apec summit in Beijing.

"But G20 is a once in a lifetime opportunity," he said. "I'll never get to another G20."

The G20 - which stands for Group 20 - is a meeting of 20 countries and their respective Reserve Bank Governors, which took on heightened importance during the global financial crisis.

Each host is allowed to issue special invitations and Australia invited New Zealand and Singapore.

"The reality is the New Zealand economy is not large enough and you require a special invitation.

"It's hard to believe we'd have a relationship with anyone that would host G20 other than Australia where we would get there on that ticket. So I am really looking forward to it."

Mr Key and his wife, Bronagh, will also be host today to old friends, the centre-right Canadian leader Stephen Harper and Laureen Harper.

It is Mrs Key's birthday and the foursome will head out to dinner in Auckland.

Mr Key will see US President Barack Obama again in Brisbane, but the president could be forgiven on concentrating on friends there he hasn't seen. Mr Key has lost count this week of how many conversations they have had at Apec and the EAS.

Mr Key caught up with Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev at a gala dinner in Myanmar and saw his latest technological toy, a double-sided touch-screen phone with kindle on one side.

He met the new Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and expressed hope that free trade talks could pick up.

He also had a formal bilateral meeting with the new Indonesian President, Joko Widodo, where they talked about renewal energy and threat of ISIS in the region.

It has been a week of summitry like no other for Mr Key, and it hasn't finished yet.