New Zealand's Defence Force deployment in the Red Sea will be extended, the Government has announced.
Defence Minister Judith Collins and Foreign Minister Winston Peters made the announcement today, saying the Defence Force will extend its contribution to the US-led coalition aimed at upholding maritime security in the region.
Collins said the decision reflected the "continued need to partner and act in line with New Zealand’s values".
She said that was something New Zealand had done regularly in support of Middle East maritime security.
“Our deployed personnel have done an exceptional job and developed excellent experience alongside our coalition partners.”
The six personnel will continue to work alongside partners to support the "collective self-defence of ships" in the Middle East region, a joint statement from the ministers said.
Defence Minister Judith Collins. (Source: 1News)
Peters said "ongoing, indiscriminate" Houthi attacks on international shipping were illegal, against New Zealand's values and continued to affect New Zealand’s economy".
“This decision demonstrates our support to the international rules-based system and freedom of navigation.”
New Zealand's contribution to international efforts aimed at improving maritime security in the Middle East had been ongoing since the mid-1990s, the statement said, with up to 26 New Zealand Defence Force deployed to various coalitions and commands in the region.
The deployment is mandated to finish on January 31 next year.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
