NZDF officer to stay in Iraq for another year

The New Zealand Defence Force will continue to offer the services of an officer to the peacekeeping mission to Iraq for another year.

Defence Minister Phil Goff said the extension of the deployment of a military liaison officer to the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) would cost $216,000.

An officer has been stationed there since 2004.

New Zealand has also contributed emergency humanitarian relief and other assistance worth over $17 million to Iraq.

In 2003-04 Defence Force engineers helped reconstruction efforts near Basra.

- NZPA