Bulgaria and the United States have agreed to extend the Balkan country's mission in Iraq, the defence minister said.

"The troops are already preparing for their mission in Iraq," Minister Vesselin Bliznakov said during his visit in Plovdiv.

Bulgaria will send the new guarding unit after the current mission comes to an end on 31 March 2007.

Bulgaria's non-combat unit is 154-strong and guards the Ashraf refugee camp, located 60 km north of Baghdad.

At the end of December the United States sent an invitation for extending the term of the mission from the end of March 2007 till the end of the year.

Bulgaria's government and parliament are expected to discuss and adopt a resolution to this effect.

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