Defence Minister Wayne Mapp leaves today to attend a meeting of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) defence ministers in Istanbul, Turkey to discuss the war in Afghanistan.The meeting follows the ISAF foreign ministers' conference in London las
Defence Minister Wayne Mapp leaves today to attend a meeting of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) defence ministers in Istanbul, Turkey to discuss the war in Afghanistan.
The meeting follows the ISAF foreign ministers' conference in London last month, attended by Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully.
At that conference Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai outlined a process for peace talks with Taliban leaders.
The call to open talks came amidst a diplomatic push from Western powers involved in the Afghanistan conflict to make hard plans that would pave the way for them to begin withdrawing their troops.
Under Mr Karzai's proposal, the West would not be directly involved in peace talks.
A separate plan backed by the United States and its allies would set up a fund to reintegrate Taliban fighters by luring them away from the insurgency with jobs and cash.
Dr Mapp said the foreign ministers conference had injected major impetus into the task in Afghanistan.
"The combined defence ministers will be looking to build on these initiatives. Our mission to support the Afghan government to achieve stability and better conditions for the Afghan people is taking major steps forward," Dr Mapp said.
"This will bring our objective of ensuring that Afghanistan will no longer be a safe haven for terrorists ever closer. Terrorism affects us in New Zealand. Since 11 September 2001, seven New Zealanders have been killed in terrorist attacks. More have been injured. The threat cannot be ignored."
After the ISAF meeting the minister will tour Anzac battlefields on the Gallipoli Peninsula with Australian Defence Minister Senator John Faulkner.
He will also visit the New Zealand contingent at the Multinational Force&Observers in the Sinai before returning to New Zealand on February 11.
