Wellington - The New Zealand Army will maintain its 140-strong provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan until at least September 2010, Prime Minister John Key announced on Tuesday.

Key, whose centre-right government came to power in November, said he would extend the commitment of the previous Labour administration because the situation in Afghanistan required an ongoing international programme of security and development assistance.

New Zealand troops have been in Afghanistan for seven years, with the provincial reconstruction team based in Bamyan province since 2003. (dpa)