British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says the British mission in Iraq will end by May 31st next year. Brown made the announcement with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad.

Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, the British Prime Minister said he plans to provide details to the British parliament on Thursday about the withdrawal of troops.

Gordon Brown said, "We have agreed today that the mission will end no later than 31st of May next year. We will of course continue to work, in the best possible way, with Iraq in the future. We will offer work with training wherever that is necessary. But having completed the four tasks that we have set ourselves, then we will end our mission on May 31st, and our troops will be coming home during the next two months.

On Tuesday, Iraq's government approved a resolution calling for all non-US troops to withdraw from the country by the end of July, though the resolution must still be adopted by the Iraqi parliament.

Nouri Al-Maliki, Iraqi Prime Minister, said, "A draft bill was submitted to parliament to give the Iraqi government the authorization to agree to keep the British forces until May 31st next year to complete their task and to withdraw on July 31st."

Britain is the second-largest contributor after the US to the international military coalition in Iraq. About 4,000 British troops are now in Iraq, mostly in the country's south.

(CCTV December 18, 2008)