TIRANA, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Albanian soldiers will remain in Iraq until the job is done, Albanian Defense Minister Fatmir Mediu promised his U.S. counterpart, Donald Rumsfeld, here on Tuesday.

    "Let me declare here, Mr. Secretary, the Albanian armed forces will stay on the side of the American armed forces in Iraq until the mission is over," said Mediu at a briefing after a meeting with Rumsfeld.

    "We want to be real partners of American forces," stated the Albanian minister, quoted by Albanian news media.

    Rumsfeld said that the United States values its partnership with Albania.

    "What you're doing is historic. I believe when you look back to that in five, 10, 15, 20 years from now you'll see the contribution you've made and the contribution your country has made, and take great pride in what you've done," he said.

    Albania also has peacekeeping contingents in Bosnia and Afghanistan.

    Rumsfeld was scheduled to meet with Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha and President Alfred Moisiu on Wednesday.

    Albania currently has 120 troops stationed in Iraq, serving under the U.S.-led command in a non-combat role of patrolling the airport in the Iraqi city of Mosul.

    Albania is working to gain admission to NATO and other international groups, and the United States has pledged to supportits efforts.

    Albania was the second stop in Rumsfeld's Balkan tour, after he paid a brief visit to the newly independent state of Montenegro.

    Rumsfeld is due to attend the annual meeting of Southeast European defense ministers on Wednesday, before traveling on to Slovenia for an informal NATO defense ministers' meeting later in the week. Enditem