Defence Minister attends Istanbul ISAF meeting

Defence Minister Wayne Mapp leaves today to attend a meeting of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Defence Ministers in Istanbul, Turkey.


The meeting follows the ISAF Foreign Ministers' conference in London last month, attended by New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully.


"The Foreign Ministers' conference has 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," he said.


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 11 February.