"It was an important opportunity to meet with him in his new role. We discussed the role which the GCC has played in dealing with the problems in the region. We expressed our support for GCC moves to defuse regional issues, particularly the Yemeni crisis," he said.On Thursday, the six-nation GCC presented Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh a revised version of its proposal to defuse the crisis in the country.

Saleh initially rejected the proposal, which called for his resignation within 30 days from the date of its acceptance. But later on Saturday, his spokesman said the long-time ruler was has accepted the formula in full.  The proposal also guaranteed that Saleh would not be prosecuted and a new government in Sanaa would be elected within 90 days from the date of his departure.McCully also discussed with Al-Zayani, former adviser to the royal court in Bahrain, the proposed free-trade agreement between New Zealand and the GCC. "We updated each other on our understanding of the free-trade agreement. We're in the process of reviewing our policy regarding this matter," he said.Asked if there was any problem regarding the approval of the agreement, he said that "it lies in the fact that we have not yet resolved our positions.""We inherited this issue from the previous government. The current government has been in office for only two years but New Zealand and the GCC are working to complete the review of the agreement," he said.He also met with Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal and Riyadh Gov. Prince Salman, with whom he also discussed issues in the region.He described his talks with Prince Saud as a "good opportunity to meet with a leading player in the GCC talks."He invited Prince Saud and Riyadh Gov. Prince Salman to visit New Zealand.McCully also met with Agriculture Minister Fahd Balghunaim and discussed issues of mutual interest, such as the bilateral trade between New Zealand and Saudi Arabia.McCully, who arrived on Friday, will leave on Monday.