Obama visit raises diplomacy issues
Former US President Barack Obama could soon visit New Zealand, possibly within weeks, at the invitation of Air New Zealand.
It is understood the trip would be too brief to bring his family, though he is expected to have time to get in a game of golf, possibly in Northland.
Planning for Obama’s visit is understood to be advanced. It is set to be centred around Auckland and could come as soon as March.
As well as giving a speech, Obama is tipped to be involved in an event related to youth leadership, an area of charity he has said he will focus on since leaving office.
The trip raises tricky issues of diplomacy.
While Obama is now a regular citizen – even called to appear for jury duty in Chicago in November – his appearance in New Zealand is likely to attract more attention than some official state visits.
Obama was repeatedly invited to travel to New Zealand while he was President, but there has been no public statement that Obama’s successor, Donald Trump, has been extended the same invitation.
It would be expected that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern would meet the former President, although the visit would have to be informal.
Former Prime Minister John Key, who scored a publicity coup when he and his son played golf with Obama in Hawaii in 2014, recently joined the Air New Zealand board as a director.