EL GORAH, Egypt - New Zealand's contribution to the Sinai multinational force and observers (MFO) should continue at least until there is a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Prime Minister Helen Clark said today.
Miss Clark had a whistlestop tour of the MFO at El Gorah in the Sinai Desert today as part of her visit to Egypt this week for commemorations for the 60th anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein.
New Zealand has contributed peacekeepers to the Sinai MFO since its establishment 20 years ago under the Egypt-Israel peace treaty.
It is New Zealand's longest-running peacekeeping operation.
The MFO has 26 staff from the New Zealand Defence Force, as well as personnel from 11 other countries.
While visiting a remote MFO post staffed by a Fijian contingent today, Miss Clark said the MFO should continue until an Israeli-Palestinian settlement was reached and bedded in.
``If the force was to be withdrawn now I think that would create tension, and it has been such a successful force that you really want to see it run its course,'' Miss Clark said.
New Zealand's contribution to the force was discussed yesterday during a 45-minute meeting between Miss Clark and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at his palace in Cairo.
While there had been some suggestion it was time to reduce the force, New Zealand did not agree and would continue to serve there for the ``foreseeable future'', she said after the meeting yesterday.
At the MFO camp today, Miss Clark and New Zealand's ambassador to Egypt, Laurie Markes, presented members of the New Zealand contingent with New Zealand Operational and General Service Medals.
Miss Clark told the contingent the operational service medal, introduced this year, went some way towards addressing ``medallic grievances''.
``At the end of World War 2, all New Zealand service men and women received an operational service medal ... unfortunately that practice did not continue after World War 2 and no further such New Zealand medal was struck to recognise New Zealand operational service of personnel,'' she said.
Kaitaia man Gwyn Macpherson, a driver in the army for the past four years who received both medals today, is the third generation of his family to serve in Africa.
His grandfather served as a stretcher bearer for the royal army medical corps at Gallipoli in World War 1 before serving in Africa and his father, who died last year aged 83, served in World War 2 in the 27th machine gun battalion in Greece, Crete and El Alamein.
``I was encouraged by my father from about age 16,'' Private Macpherson told NZPA.
He had asked for the six-month posting to the Sinai MFO.
``They select six drivers every six months. As far as drivers go, this is the ultimate tour.''
He said his father would have been happy today.
``I was in East Timor for six months and he was very, very proud of me for that and he'd be very proud of me today.''
Pte Macpherson finishes his tour next month.
Miss Clark is to meet Egypt's prime minister, foreign affairs, minister and foreign trade minister in Cairo tomorrow before flying to Dubai to open New Zealand's new consulate-general there.
- NZPA
Clark says NZ will stay in MFO
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