PRAGUE, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Czech Republic does not consider withdrawing its soldiers from Iraq for the time being, and they will stay in the country minimally till the year's end, Defense Ministry spokesman Andrej Cirtek said on Wednesday.

    Cirtek reacted to Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen's statement that Denmark will withdraw almost 500 soldiers from Iraq by the end of August.

    Czechs have been operating in Iraq within the multinational mission.

    A total of 1,200 soldiers took their turns in Iraq, whose task was to train Iraqi policemen.

    At present a fresh military contingent of military policemen and an artillery brigade are operating in Iraq.

    The Czech military is also represented in Baghdad where five people have operated at the command of the NATO training mission since last December. ¡¡