Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema speaks to the media at the Iraqi foreign ministry in Baghdad, Iraq Wednesday, June 7, 2006.  (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

  ¡¡BAGHDAD, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema said here on Wednesday that his country would pull out its troops from Iraq by the end of this year.

    "We think that the Italian mission in Iraq is moving toward its end and we will begin reducing the number of Italian troops in Iraq this month and during the coming months, military forces will return to their country," D'Alema told reporters at a news conference with his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zebari.

    "We think that by the end of this year our military mission will end in Iraq," he added.

    For his part, Zebari said that the visit of the Italian foreign minister was also aimed at congratulating the new Iraqi government for its formal inauguration on May 20 as well as "holding talks on the withdrawal of the Italian troops, which we want to be a gradual pullout."

    Italy has maintained about 3,000 troops in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah, the fourth largest contingent after the U.S., Britain and South Korea. Enditem

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