UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Tuesday that the UN International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East has served as an important opportunity to enhance dialogue and understanding between Israelis and Palestinians.

This came in a message read out by Cristina Gallach, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, at the UN International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East, which began today in Astana, Kazakhstan.

"The United Nations system will spare no effort in supporting the quest for peace," Ban said.