Foreign Minister Murray McCully will travel to the Middle East next week to meet with leaders and counterparts in Jordan, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories and to attend the Sir Bani Yas Forum in Abu Dhabi.

“New Zealand continues to serve as a member of the United Nations Security Council until the end of the year and we remain focused on doing what we can to help address the current conflicts in the Middle East,” Mr McCully says.

In addition to meeting with regional leaders Minister McCully will attend the 7th Sir Bani Yas Forum in Abu Dhabi. Hosted annually by the United Arab Emirates, this high-level retreat is a leading venue for discussing peace and security issues in the Middle East.