Labour Party leader Phil Goff says the presidency of Barack Obama will bring the United States closer to the principles and values of New Zealanders.
Mr Obama was sworn in as the first African-American president of the United States on Tuesday.
Mr Goff says his inauguration was a remarkable occasion and represents a coming of age for the country.
He says Mr Obama faces huge challenges - from the economy to the ongoing problems in the Middle East.
"He starts off with enormous goodwill. He starts off with a commitment to the vision of a better America and a better world; of an America that reaches out to work in partnership with the world and to use its power with a sense of humility, as he put it."
Mr Goff is optimistic that talks on a trade deal between the US and the Trans Pacific Partnership, which includes New Zealand, will continue.
