John Key

Wellington, June 30 NZPA - The Government rejected an Australian request for a joint Anzac force in Afghanistan, it was reported today.

New Zealand and Australian forces are in Afghanistan as part of a Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

The Anzac force would have trained and mentored Afghan troops in the Uruzgan Province.

The area is more dangerous than Bamiyan where the bulk of Kiwi forces are and the work would be high risk as soldiers would accompany the Afghan troops on missions.

Prime Minister John Key said the proposal did not fit with the New Zealand approach.

"It was more the training nature so we had looked at that and on balance considered whether it fitted in with the criteria we wanted... whether it would add value and on balance we decided it just didn't fit with what we wanted."

The Government would consider putting New Zealand support staff in Australian Army headquarters in Kabul.

The Australian proposal on Afghanistan was separate to an idea to have a joint force operate in the Pacific. However, Radio New Zealand said that proposal was now to work on better coordination and planning so the forces can be deployed together more quickly but without merging.

Mr Key visited Afghanistan this year. Cabinet is yet to consider whether to extend the work of the 70-plus SAS contingent in Kabul and the 140 troops in Bamiyan.