The Prime Minister's address covered a range of topics from the state of the New Zealand economy to the vastly improved NZ-US relationship.  He emphasized the current cooperation between the two nations on economic, political, security, and environmental issues of concern to the two countries and more broadly in the Asia-Pacific region.  

Mr Key spoke at length on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade negotiations, their importance for New Zealand, the United States and the region.  He described the objective of the TPP negotiations as a high standard 21st Century agreement that can be a stepping stone to an APEC-wide agreement.  While he understood the challenge the TPP would pose in some quarters in the US, he argued that the US would greatly benefit from the agreement, noting that the TPP could turn the tide for their share of exports to Asia, which has been declining in recent years.  Mr Key highlighted the growing trade agreements in the region, in which New Zealand is an active player, citing bilateral agreements with Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, China, and Hong Kong and the regional FTA among Australia, New Zealand and the 10 ASEAN countries.  The Prime Minister referred to the high-quality FTA with China that has brought a surge in trade between the two countries, with China recently overtaking the U.S. as New Zealand's second-largest trading partner.  

 Among the distinguished guests were Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Kurt Campbell; Representative Rick Larsen of Washington; Co-Chair of the Friends of New Zealand Congressional Caucus in the House; Dr. Fred Bergsten, Director of the Peterson Institute for International Economics; and two former Co-Chairs of Partnership Forums, Cal Dooley and Clayton Yeutter. 

Table sponsors for the dinner were Blank Rome, Cargill, Citigroup, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Fonterra USA, L3 Communcations, Lockheed Martin, MARS Inc., National Australia Bank, Time Warner, Toyota, Westpac and Weyerhaeuser.  

The Prime Minister concluded the evening by presiding at the investiture of Council CEO John Mullen as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.