Hello, kia ora, suostei - Ardern has had a formal meeting with the Cambodian Prime Minister. 

"I particularly wanted to acknowledge the efforts that you personally put into  efforts to see greater progress from Myanmar," she said.

But Cambodian officials decided to cut off the New Zealand media early.

"I promise you I didn't say anything interesting after you walked out in that opening ambit."

The Cambodian capital was blockaded off for motorcades so, like Ardern with US President Joe Biden, leaders could chat by night and roam by day. 

Yet without the summit reaching any resolutions, is there a point to the chaos?

"No one expects to come to the East Asia Summit, and suddenly see peace break out between Ukraine and Russia," said Ardern. "No one expects that you come to this summit and that suddenly Myanmar is on a pathway to democracy. No one had that expectation."

Gloom hangs over this part of the world, tied up in complexities.

"I would describe the tone of that summit as being deliberate, diplomatic and very sober," Ardern said. 

There's also climate change, food shortages, North Korea's nuclear weapons testing, Myanmar's military takeover, and tensions as China and the United States muscle off.

"This region itself, no question, faces huge complexity, huge challenges. I can't give you a relative response on whether or not it's the gravest when compared globally but there's no doubt they are significant challenges."

Though Ardern was refusing to be drawn on New Zealand's response should one nation actually follow through with the threats.

"One of the reasons we don't tend to dip into that hypothetical space is because of our absolute focus on the need to exhaust, absolutely exhaust, diplomacy," she said.

"Diplomacy's not done in this region yet."

It was a room filled with talking over a region filled with conflict.