PRAGUE, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Slovakia could be the next country to pull out of Iraq after its government announced on Monday that it was planning to withdraw its troops from the war-torn Middle East nation, according to reports from Bratislava.

    Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico gave no timetable for withdrawing the 100 or so Slovakian troops, who are mainly in charge of ammunition. But he said the soldiers would not return immediately.

    The Prime Minister told reporters that Slovakia did not want tomake a big deal out of the withdrawal.

    Defence Minister Frantisek Kasicky said Slovakia would consult the partners of the international coalition in Iraq and the Iraqi government on the withdrawal date.

    Fico said Slovakia was ready to help the Middle East through "civilian means", but did not specify its further activities in the region. However, there has been media speculation that Slovakia could participate in the training of Iraqi police and soldiers.

    Fico's Smer-Social Democracy Party and the nationalist Slovak National Party, a coalition member, repeatedly pledged to withdraw the country's troops from Iraq before the June parliamentary elections.

    Fico, whose Smer party won the elections on June 17, signed agreements with the Slovak National Party and the People's Party-Movement for a Democratic Slovakia on July 2 to form the new coalition government. Enditem