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NZ gov't to spend 18.63 mln USD on Iraq military mission

Xinhua, May 21, 2015 Adjust font size:

The New Zealand government is to spend 25.4 million NZ dollars (18.63 million U.S. dollars) this year on its two-year mission to train Iraqi troops to fight Islamic State insurgents, it revealed in the annual Budget Thursday.

The New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF) would get new operating funding of 264 million NZ dollars (193.72 million U.S. dollars) over four years, Finance Minister Bill English said in a published speech to Parliament.

"This funding allows the Defense Force to concurrently undertake domestic, regional and international security tasks, giving it greater flexibility in the response options it can provide to the government as we react to changes in the security environment," Defense Minister Gerry Brownlee said in a statement.

That included funding for the Building Partner Capacity mission to train the Iraqi Defense Force, a joint mission with Australia to which the NZDF is contributing up to 143 personnel.

The government had also signaled an intention to replace billions of dollars worth of equipment over the next 15 years, said Brownlee.

"The extra funding will ensure New Zealand buys equipment that is fit for its needs, and acquires it on time, to budget, and to the specifications the government has agreed," he said.

New Zealand troops arrived in Iraq earlier this month. Endi