Albania has begun pulling its troops out of Iraq, the defense ministry said Thursday.
Defense Ministry spokeswoman Albana Mustafaraj said the country's Defense Minister Gazmend Oketa has traveled to Iraq to bring back its 218 troops serving there.
Albanian troops have been serving in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul since 2003.
"The first elements of the contingent will leave Iraq Saturday and the rest next week," Mustafaraj said. Defence Minister GazmendOketa will take part in a ceremony marking the withdrawal later Thursday in Mosul, northern Iraq, she added.
Albania had been sending troops to Iraq since 2003 when the United States and its allies launched military operations against the country. The Albanian troops served under U.S. command.
Albania has troops stationed in Bosnia, Afghanistan, Chad and the Central African Republic. It was invited to join NATO in April and was expected to become a full member of the bloc in 2009.
Source:Xinhua
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