Defense Minister Peeni Henare said the government was closely monitoring the situation in Afghanistan.
The Afghan National Army monitors Bagram Airfield in Kabul on July 3, 2021.
Photo: AFP / Haroon Sabawoon
Violence has increased in Afghanistan and the Taliban have made significant progress in recent weeks. The increase comes as the US, UK and other allies withdraw their troops after 20 years.
New Zealand troops also withdrew from the country earlier this year, having deployed personnel there since 2001, when US-led forces ousted the Taliban from power.
As part of a deal with the Taliban, the United States and its NATO allies agreed to withdraw all of their troops in exchange for a pledge by militants not to allow any extremist groups to operate in the areas. that they control.
But the Taliban have not agreed to stop fighting Afghan forces and now control about a third of the country, according to the BBC.
Henare said no other country has approached New Zealand to take action in Afghanistan.
However, he has spoken to other countries about the situation.
“It recently came to our ASEAN [The Association of Southeast Asian Nations] defense ministers, a number of countries raised it, but not last week, we didn’t, “he said.
Minister of Defense Peeni Henare.
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Heare said the situation was being watched closely by the government.
“We just pulled our troops out there and we will continue to make sure we have an eye on what’s going on there, but any decision for us to act would be made by Cabinet.”
National Party spokesman for Foreign Affairs Gerry Brownlee said the situation in Afghanistan was “extremely disappointing”.
“I think New Zealand will always be a country that wants to participate in efforts to maintain and strengthen democracy in parts of the world where we have made sacrifices in the past,” Brownlee said.
“We made big sacrifices there, but we don’t have the capacity, the size of the army on our own to do anything.”
Brownlee said New Zealand has been in Afghanistan for a very long time trying to achieve stability.
However, he noted that it was appropriate for New Zealand troops to withdraw earlier this year.
