Arab League chief and New Zealand foreign minister discuss Palestinian cause.

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and New Zealand’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Winston Peters, held talks in Cairo about the Palestinian cause and other regional and international issues of mutual concern.

Aboul Gheit commended authorities in New Zealand for condemning Israeli aggression against the Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip, and advocating for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in the territory.

Spokesperson Jamal Rushdi said the secretary-general urged Peters to consider official recognition by New Zealand of the state of Palestine, as a crucial step toward achieving a peaceful resolution to the dispute between the Palestinians and Israelis based on a two-state solution.

Such international recognition of Palestine as a country, and granting it full membership of the UN, would ensure negotiations between the two sides take place on an equal footing, in contrast to the current situation, Aboul Gheit added.

He also underscored the urgent need to implement the recent UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, to halt the Israeli military operations in the territory and end the bloodshed there.

He reiterated the need to provide, and ensure the delivery of, humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza through a sustainable and reliable mechanism for relief efforts.

The discussions between Aboul Gheit and Peters on Sunday also included ways in which relations between the two parties might be enhanced, Rushdi added.