He paid tribute the New Zealand troops training Iraqi troops in Camp Taji near Baghdad. The United States had made a lot of mistakes, he said "but it has always been forward." He is on a Pacific tour to assert the United States' role in the Pacific. New Zealand and the United States shared the same values, the same commitment to freedom and equity, and the same fierce independence. Phil Goff was not at the reception but said he would thank Biden tomorrow for the remarks about his nephew.

Source: New Zealand Herald July 20, 2016 08:39 UTC