New Zealand urges solution of Palestinian cause

New Zealand's foreign minister Murray McCully said Saturday the Palestinian cause was the reason behind regional instability, noting that his country voted in favor of upgrading the Palestinian UN status to a non-member observer state. McCully, at a news conference here, condemned the destruction happening in Syria and said it was the result of the UN Security Council's (UNSC) failure to address the conflict. He said New Zealand pledged USD 1.5 million to Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey to help in the relief aid for the hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees in their countries. McCully said his talks with the Saudi officials were constructive and fruitful. The talks touched upon the establishment of agriculture partnership and food security in the region. Earlier in the day, McCully met with Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and discussed regional and international affairs.