When Mary Harney arrived in Guadalcanal in the Pacific Solomon Islands yesterday, the same could be said about her brief visit - just one hour to refuel the Air Corps Gulf stream IV Government jet - as was famously remarked by then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on his 60--minute touchdown at Shannon in 1989: that it was "not a stopover, but a milestone".
This was a milestone of sorts in Irish-Solomon relations. The Deputy Prime Minister of the remote Pacific nation, Sir Badilly Deves, got up before dawn to greet his Irish visitor when she flew in at 5.30 a.m., just as the tropical sun was splicing its first orange rays through the moisture-laden palm trees.
They spent an hour in the spartan terminal of Henderson Airport (two flights a day) discussing matters of mutual interest, while the Government jet was fuelled for the next leg of its Tokyo-Wellington journey.
It was already 25 Celsius at Guadalcanal compared to the 25 Celsius which the Tanaiste and her officials experienced at a similar stopover at Novosibirsk on Sunday.
There she discussed world affairs with Siberian official Mr Vladimir Nekhoroshkov before flying on to Tokyo.
Yesterday Ms Harney and Sir Badilly found a lot in common. Both are leaders of small but crucial components of a coalition government, Sir Badilly having three seats in parliament and the deputy premiership, whereas Ms Harney has four seats and the same position.
The Tanaiste and her party, including two journalists from The Irish Times and RTE, were exhausted when they reached New Zealand, the journey from Tokyo to Wellington having taken 15 hours.
The Government jet is comfortable, it has enough armchair seats for 14 passengers and it contains a galley and a spacious toilet equipped with mirrors and lights like a star's dressing room, but it becomes cramped over long journeys and sleep is almost impossible.
The flight ended with a breathtaking descent over the coastal suburbs of Wellington, ranging over green hills. Ms Harney proceeded to a meeting at Parliament House with the New Zealand Prime Minister, Ms Jenny Shipley, to whom she presented a Seoda scarf made by Jemma Fullam of Freshford, Co Kilkenny.
Ms Shipley said afterwards she admired the Irish economy and hoped New Zealand was poised to recover from recession shortly after "the breezes of Asia blew past us".
She also confirmed that New Zealand would support Ireland's push for a seat on the UN Security Council in 2001-2002.
On this question, the Japanese had made positive noises and Sir Badilly in the Solomon Islands had promised to give the matter serious consideration.