Foreign
Minister Murray McCully travelled to Baghdad yesterday for
talks with Iraq’s Prime Minister Mr Haider al-Abadi and
Foreign Minister Dr Ibrahim al-Ja'afari.
“New Zealand is
committed to supporting Iraq as they address the threat
posed by ISIL and build a more law-abiding and democratic
country,” Mr McCully says.
“To date New Zealand’s
contribution to the international coalition against ISIL has
been focused on the provision of humanitarian aid to people
displaced by the fighting in Iraq and Syria.
“In
February the Prime Minister announced plans to deploy a
military training mission to Iraq. My visit was an
opportunity to talk to the Government of Iraq about the
deployment and how we ensure our defence personnel have the
appropriate legal protections.
“I will be reporting back
to the Prime Minister and my Cabinet colleagues on the
outcome of these discussions when I return to New
Zealand,” Mr McCully
says.
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