New Zealand names new ambassador to Iraq

New Zealand Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee on Tuesday named Bradley Sawden as next ambassador to Iraq.

New Zealand established an embassy in Baghdad in 2015 to support New Zealand and Australia's joint mission "Building Partner Capacity."

"This mission has trained over 20,000 Iraqi police and army personnel who are on the frontlines of the fight against Daesh (Islamic State)," Brownlee said.

Sawden will be charged with supporting New Zealand's non-combat training mission to Iraq and assessing how to support and build relations with the Iraqi government, as well as maintaining relations with the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, according to Brownlee.

Sawden has been involved in national and international security issues across the defense and security sector of the New Zealand government.

His most recent posting was in New York as counsellor at the New Zealand permanent mission to the United Nations during New Zealand's tenure as a member of the United Nations Security Council. Endit