BG Troops to Withdraw from Iraq by December 31

The Bulgarian battalion will be withdrawn from Iraq by the end of this year. This was decided at the yesterday's regular sitting of the Council of Ministers. The strength of the 5th Bulgarian battalion in Iraq may be reduced by 100 troopers. Government Spokesman Dimitar Tsonev said that the 5th battalion may be 400-strong at the most, whereas the present one is 500-strong. The decision, under which Bulgaria will not have a battalion in Iraq from 2006 on, does not mean that Bulgaria will walk out of the Allied Coalition; rather, we shall change our status of participation, in accordance with the more stable situation in Iraq, Tsonev said. Ministers intend to start negotiations with the coalition partners of Bulgaria for other forms of participation of this country in the processes of stability-enforcement in Iraq. Bulgaria may provide for the needs of the Coalition financial support, engineers and medics.