Hon Murray McCully
Minister of Foreign Affairs

Meeting with US Secretary of State

Foreign Minister Murray McCully met with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington today to discuss issues related to New Zealand’s presidency of the United Nations Security Council and the US/NZ relationship.

“New Zealand and the United States work together closely at the United Nations and we cooperate on a range of international peace and security issues,” Mr McCully says.

“My meeting today was an opportunity to congratulate Secretary Kerry on the conclusion of the P5+1 Iran deal which is a product of strong and effective diplomacy. Last week the members of the Security Council welcomed the deal, expressing the hope that it would set the scene for Iran to play a more constructive role in regional affairs, leading to progress on some of the security challenges facing the Middle East.

“We discussed issues currently on the Council’s agenda, such as the urgent need for a political solution to the conflict in Syria, and efforts to establish accountability for the downing of flight MH17 over Ukraine last year.

“Secretary Kerry has been closely involved in efforts to re-establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians and New Zealand is strongly supportive of the US leadership being shown in relation to the Middle East Peace Process.

“I also reiterated New Zealand’s view that the Security Council needs to become more involved in the peace process and encouraging all parties back to the negotiating table.

“In addition, our talks covered the TPP negotiations, and I emphasised the importance of a deal that delivers a high-quality and comprehensive outcome on areas of interest to New Zealand such as dairy,” Mr McCully says.

ENDS

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