SECRETARY KERRY: Hi, everybody. How are you?

QUESTION: Hi there.

QUESTION: Welcome back to New Zealand.

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, let me just say what an extraordinary experience it was and how impressed I am by the remarkable commitment of so many scientists and so many involved people to learn more, to be able to help guide important policy decisions and I was very grateful today. I went to the New Zealand base – Scott – and had a terrific tour. Saw them prepping to go out on the ice to do some important (inaudible).

And yesterday, I had an amazing opportunity to really move around by helicopter and get a sense of the majesty and awe of the place. But most important I think is really vital science being done with respect to the critical knowledge we need about the western sheet – the West Antarctic Ice Sheet – and what the melt rate is, what the potential impact will be. So for those of us deeply concerned and involved in climate change, this was a very, very helpful, very instructive visit.

And finally, of course, I was really delighted to work with Russia, very grateful for Russia’s cooperation in helping to finally set aside the Ross Sea as a marine protected area – the largest in the world – and I think we can all be very, very proud of that. A lot of work still to do, but it was very, very helpful for me to get there.

Thank you. Good to see you all.

MR KIRBY: Thanks very much, everybody. Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you so much. Thank you everybody. Take care.