Prime Minister John Key will raise the issue of Afghanistan with United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton next week.
Mrs Clinton is scheduled to attend the Pacific Islands Forum in the Cook Islands, which begins on Wednesday week.
In the wake of the deaths of three soldiers from a roadside bomb in Bamiyan province on Sunday, Mr Key says he will use the forum as an opportunity to talk to Mrs Clinton about Afghanistan.
He says the transition and exit of troops from there is always something he likes to discuss with other leaders.
Mr Key says memorial services for the three soldiers are expected to be held early next week, and he will stay in New Zealand to attend them if they clash with the forum.
