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LOS CABOS - New Zealand shares Malaysia's views on many issues including those which relate to terrorism and Iraq, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said Wednesday.

"New Zealand is a friendly nation with which we can cooperate and which has many views like ours," he the Malaysian media here after a bilateral meeting with his New Zealand counterpart, Philip Bruce Goff.

He said that just like Malaysia, Goff felt that most issues related to terrorism should be tackled by identifying the root causes and not just blaming it on economic and social problems.

During the meeting, Syed Hamid said, he also explained to his counterpart the difference between the Jemaah Islamiyah group, which refers to an Islamic community movement, and a small faction of it which had deviated and is now linked to terrorist activities.

He said there should not be any confusion between the peace-loving Jemaah Islamiyah group and the wayward faction.

Syed Hamid, who is here to attend the two-day Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ministerial meeting that ends Thursday, said that the New Zealand foreign minister also held a similar stand with Malaysia on any action against Iraq.

"We feel that it should be conducted in line with international laws and not through unilateral action," he added. - Bernama