Talks on British forces presence in Iraq ongoing – foreign ministry

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The foreign ministry said on Friday that talks continue with the British side to reach a joint agreement on the withdrawal of British forces from Iraq and organize their presence after the end of international mandate of Security Council of MNFI at the end of the year. “The two sides started negotiations a month ago to reach an understanding between the two sides on the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq,” Labid Abawi, the Iraqi Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, told IraqiNews.com. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari had met Mr. Sayon McDonald Advisor of Mr. Cordon Brown, British Prime Minister, on Monday 1/12/2008. During the meeting, both sides discussed the future of British forces in Iraq and its legal status after the end of international mandate of Security Council of MNFI at the end of the year. Minister Zebari stressed the Iraqi government’s appreciation for the British force’s role in assisting to achieve the stability and security, as well as supporting of British government for democratic transformation process in Iraq. Both sides stressed the need for bilateral communication and understanding between the two governments to arrange the work of these forces to mid of 2009. British soldiers were stationed in one base – the Basra International Airport – after handing over the former presidential palaces, which they took as a military base, to the Iraqi forces. The British forces keep 4,100 troops within the MNF in Iraq. SH (P) 1