The Czech Senate approved a government draft Wednesday to extend the country's military mission in Iraq until 2006.

The draft was approved by 49 in favor, none against and 12 abstentions in the 81-seat Senate as 20 senators were absent from the vote.

Under the draft, the country's military mission is to stay in Iraq until the end of the next year.

The draft still requires passage in the lower chamber of the Czech legislature.

There are 102 Czech military police stationed in the Shaibah base training Iraqi police officers. It also has three doctors and three nurses serving in a British military hospital in Iraq now.

(Xinhua News Agency December 1, 2005)