WELLINGTON - A Pacific regional counter-terrorism exercise is being hosted in New Zealand this week.

Exercise Ready Pasifika brings together police, legal experts and senior officials responsible for counter-terrorism from 14 Pacific Island countries for a table-top exercise being held in Auckland.

"While there is only a low level of threat to the Pacific region from terrorism, nowhere can be considered completely immune, " said New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully in a statement.

"The high level of involvement in this exercise demonstrates the importance New Zealand and Pacific Island Forum governments attach to cooperation against international terrorism," he said.

The exercise coincides with the Working Group on Counter- Terrorism's annual meeting. This is the only regular regional forum for countries to discuss international counter-terrorism trends and identify priorities for assistance.

This year it is being attended by the head of the UN Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate,  Mike Smith, as well as Pacific Forum member and observer countries and a number of regional security organizations.

The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and New Zealand Police were hosting Exercise Ready Pasifika in Auckland.