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New Zealand, Australia defense ministers discuss Iraq deployment

Xinhua, December 14, 2015 Adjust font size:

The New Zealand and Australian defense ministers met in Christchurch Monday to discuss joint efforts to help fight Islamic State (Daesh) group as opposition lawmakers questioned the effectiveness of the mission.

The international effort to counter Daesh was one of a range of regional and international issues on the agenda for New Zealand Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee and Australian counterpart Marise Payne.

It would be the first formal bilateral meeting of the two ministers and would provide a timely opportunity to discuss mutual defence and security issues, Brownlee said in a statement.

"Australia is our closest security and trade partner, and it is important that we stay closely in touch on key issues that impact us both."

Forces of the two countries are jointly running a training program for Iraqi soldiers at Camp Taji near Baghdad.

However, the opposition New Zealand First party said Monday that the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) had admitted in an official response for information that it carried out no battlefield assessment of soldiers. Endit