The Netherlands is not involved in any talks with US officials on sending troops to Afghanistan once the Dutch mission ends in August 2010, aid minister Bert Koenders told the Telegraaf on Friday.

Koenders was reacting to an article in the Financial Times which states: ‘US officials are currently in talks with The Hague to keep some 500 of the about 1,600-strong Dutch force in Uruzgan province’.
Koenders said the issue did not come up during his talks on Friday with Stanley McChrystal, the US commander in Afghanistan.
Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende said earlier this year he did not rule out continued Dutch involvement in the region, the Telegraaf said.