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Clinton faces packed two-day schedule

By Claire Trevett 4:00 AM Wednesday Jan 13, 2010

Hillary Clinton will arrive for her first visit to New Zealand on a private plane with an entourage of about 40, including US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell. Photo / AP

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's first day in New Zealand will be a tiring one.

She will land in the early hours of Friday and be busy until after a small dinner party hosted by Prime Minister John Key that night.

Although she is in New Zealand for two days, her formal bilateral meeting with Mr Key and Foreign Minister Murray McCully is expected to take just 40 minutes.

Mrs Clinton will arrive for her first visit to New Zealand on a private plane with an entourage of about 40, including US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell.

Her key meeting will be held after a powhiri at Government House in Auckland and tea with the Governor General.

High on the agenda is understood to be the United States' review of the security relationship with New Zealand and plans to drop the US ban on military exercises with New Zealand.

Mrs Clinton and Mr McCully will also sign an agreement putting New Zealand among a handful of countries with whom the United States shares secondments of diplomatic staff.

They will allow New Zealand diplomats posted to the embassy in Washington to spend a year working at the State Department.

In return, US diplomats would be seconded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade here before beginning their own posts.

On Saturday she will meet Labour leader Phil Goff who said he wanted to voice support for United States participation in the Trans Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership, because it would have "mutual benefits".

He also wished to discuss the outlook for Afghanistan and disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. "We expect, or hope, this administration to be more progressive than its predecessor on those issues."

She will also attend a reception hosted by the NZ/US Council and American Chamber of Commerce where she will address business people, academics, politicians and cultural sector representatives.

Mrs Clinton will also be at a "virtual opening" of the new Antarctic Wind Farm, a $13 million project led by New Zealand and constructed by Meridian, which the US contributed to.

Mrs Clinton will also face questions from an audience at a "dialogue forum" for invited guests before meeting veterans and laying a wreath at the Auckland War Memorial.

She will leave on Sunday for Australia.

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Wow!  That is one busy trip!  Best Wishes SOS Hillary Clinton!  Enjoy the warmth of the weather and the people of NZ and Australia.