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The Royal New Zealand Navy’s Offshore Patrol Vessel HMNZS OTAGO has successfully completed its first patrol of the season in the Southern Ocean - one of the world’s most challenging environments.

“It is important to New Zealand and the world that we protect the fragile marine environment of the Southern Ocean by helping to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing,” Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully says.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully and Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman say an RNZAF C-130 Hercules has landed in cyclone-ravaged Samoa with additional relief supplies.

“At the request of the Samoan Government we sent a Hercules to Apia with essential humanitarian supplies and diesel generators to support the relief and recovery effort,” Mr McCully says.

“There is an urgent need for generators to ensure the Samoa Water Authority can pump and transport water to affected communities.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully and Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman today confirmed the departure of the New Zealand platoon from the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI).

“RAMSI is a great example of a Pacific solution to a Pacific problem. At the request of the Solomon Islands Government, Pacific Island countries helped a friend in serious trouble,” Mr McCully says.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully and Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman today confirmed Cabinet has agreed the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) will be withdrawn from Bamyan province in Afghanistan by the end of April 2013.

The Ministers say the announcement is the culmination of months of planning and is part of an orderly and sequenced International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) plan for transition.

New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel will withdraw from Syria this week as the United Nations Supervision Mission (UNSMIS) ends, Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully and Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman announced today.

“The UN Security Council’s mandate for the mission expired on 19 August. The UN has indicated it will have all international military observers, including all NZDF personnel, out of Syria by 23 August,” Mr McCully says.

The New Zealand Defence Force is assisting the upcoming June election in Papua New Guinea, Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully and Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman announced today.

“Following a request from the PNG government, New Zealand will support the local authorities in the delivery of a safe, free and fair election by providing logistical support and observers,” Mr McCully says.

“We will work alongside the Australian Defence Force which is also assisting in the election process.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully today announced further support for international efforts in Syria, including an offer to deploy additional military observers.

New Zealand has offered the UN’s Supervision Mission in Syria a team of five New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel. Should the offer be accepted, the team will replace two NZDF personnel temporarily redeployed to the mission.