Though her potential candidacy has been more often scoffed or ignored, there may be interest building in New Zealand’s Prime Minister Helen Clark.
This week, she received a visit from Chinese premier Wen Jiabao to continue discussions on a possible China-New Zealand free trade agreement. But their discussion may also have included the possibility of her standing for UNSG.
National foreign affairs spokesman Murray McCully speculated that the visit could have “something to do” with Clark’s alleged intention of seeking the post of United Nations (UN) secretary-general later this year.
Clark and New Zealand’s Defense Minister met privately last January with the head of the U.S. Pacific Command, Admiral William Fallon. What was discussed remained private, but no doubt gave U.S. officials a sense of how closely her views on global security issues aligned with theirs.