Slovak Defense Minister Frantisek Kasicky said on Tuesday his country had begun to withdraw its troops from Iraq, according to news reaching Prague from Bratislava, capital of Slovakia.

Kasicky said the first part of Slovak contingent and their equipment has left Iraq and moved to Kuwait. The rest of the troops would be pulled out by the end of February.

Slovakia would leave 11 army officers in Iraq to help train the Iraqi army, said the defense minister.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said his country was ready to pull its troops out of Iraq and drew up specific timetable of the withdrawal after he won the election in June 2006.

Slovakia sent about 110 troops in Iraq in 2003. Altogether four soldiers were killed during their stay in the country.

(Xinhua News Agency January 17, 2007)