KIEV, Oct. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych said Monday that his country will withdraw troops from Iraq in 2005.

    Ukraine sent troops to Iraq in August 2003, and there are up to 1,600 soldiers being deployed there now.

    Speaking at a gathering in Chernigov state, Yanukovych said that although he is personally opposed to deploying troops in Iraq,they cannot be withdrawn all at once because an immediate pullout will encourage international terrorism.

    In the just-concluded redeployment in Iraq, Ukraine reduced by 250 the number of soldiers deployed along the Iraq-Iran border because the Iraqi soldiers trained by Ukraine could now take up the task of border control on their own, Yanukovych said.

    He also said the general election in Iraq scheduled for next January and the establishment of a new government will speed up the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces. Enditem